did anyone survive the condo collapse did anyone survive the condo collapse

A pool contractor who visited the building just two days before the collapse took photographs showing a wet floor, cracked concrete and severely corroded reinforcing steel in the building's pool equipment room, CBS News' David Begnaud reported. What did you see? They then descended to the garage where they encountered shin-deep water, ultimatelyescaping Alfredo with a woman frozen from shock hoisted over his shoulder through an opening in acrumbled wall. I mean, did you have any idea that the building was unsound? "The building swayed like a sheet of paper. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Associated Press. Alvarez is still dealing with the trauma. The teens rescue was one of at least 37 people rescued the day of the collapse. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp They have been hampered by torrential rain and fires and have had to move with excruciating care. "I'm having a hard time [getting] to sleep. She did - to yoga with me. A 15-year-old boy who miraculously survived the Miami condo collapse was sitting in his bedroom next to his mother when the building gave way and she was killed, according to a lawsuit filed by . Jeff Pias, 60, was staying with his . "She lived there for a long time," said Adam Schwartzbaum, her attorney, "and she was planning to live there for the rest of her life. And it felt like the longest thunder I had ever heard in my life. I won't leave. Required fields are marked *. The lady that was in the elevator with me before I went to bed that night, before I went to - home for the evening - we were talking. (CNN) After several weeks of searching and waiting for news on victims from the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, A class-action complaint updated on Nov. 10 alleges that the towers were badly damaged and destabilized because of, A total of 98 people died when the building, Over a month after a condominium complex near Miami abruptly collapsed overnight, local officials said Monday theyve identified the remains of a final missing person, sending the disasters overall death toll to. I mean, I know that sounds silly, but that's all I want, my cat back. They were screaming. Authorities have opened a family assistance center at the Surfside recreational center for individuals unable to locate loved ones who live in the Champlain Towers South. I see cars going inwards, underneath the building underneath the building is the car garage. We're going to hear now from one of the survivors of that collapse. Can you tell us what happened? I thought, oh, tomorrow on the news, we're going to hear about, you know, tremors in Florida. Nobody had been found alive since immediately after the Florida building crumbled almost two weeks ago, killing at least 54. And I ran, and I ran. Copyright 2021 NPR. The cause of the collapse is still being investigated, but evidence soon emerged of a history of maintenance and structural concerns at the building, which was just beginning a multimillion-dollar repair project. Capponi's organization, Global Empowerment Mission, has distributed roughly $75,000 in gift cards among surfside survivors, and he's also working with hotel and condo owners to find places they can live for the next two months. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. But, at this point, nothing to indicate that.". GARCIA-NAVARRO: But you know if you'd done that, you might have lost your life. And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. And I remember telling 911, 'I can't explain anything right now, you guys have to come here ASAP,'" he said. Newsroom: (305) 795-2777. Surfside condo collapse:Town leaders fuming at obstacles to investigation, aim to sue county, From March:Florida judge approves $83 million settlement for property loss in Surfside condo collapse. Osin-Cohenthen returned to her apartment, taking along with her an elderly couple she came across that was also trying to find their way out. I ran to the balcony. Anyone with family members from the condominium who are either safe or still missing is urged to call 305-614-1819 to account for them. Sara was at an event, Chani was babysitting and Gabe, a night owl, had gone to the gym. More than 150 people were unaccounted for after a high-rise condo building partially collapsed near Miami Beach early Thursday, leaving at least four people dead and 11 injured, officials said . Gabe told his sister to leave the apartment with him, and when they got to the lobby, they joined their mom and started to run. Those are people I say hello to. Your email address will not be published. When part of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed early Thursday, it left a pile of rubble where the beachside residences once stood. "We tried knocking on people's doors," Gabe said. When he opened the . ", Longobardi, who is a civil engineer, said they found a staircase that was completely intact and he quickly checked for cracks or other signs of damage before they used it to escape. "Some of them dont have insurance, and theyve lost everything they worked all their lives for. But, I mean, I can't get into the building. Miami condo owners warned of major structural damage in 2018. Market data provided by Factset. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Paolo Longobardi, who lives in the Champlain Towers South with his wife and two children, said he also awoke to loud noises and saw part of the building collapse. "I looked to my left and half of the apartment is gone, look forward and the elevator shaft is there and there's no elevator, it's just two holes," Aguero told NBC South Florida. My family's having a hard time," Gabe said. A massive search and rescue operation has been underway since early Thursday, as crews carefully comb through the pancaked wreckage and remaining structure in hopes of finding survivors. Jadallah told reporters that at least 11 people were medically assessed and treated on site, four of whom were then transported to local hospitals. Photos: Florida beachfront condo collapses, Surfside mourns victims as death toll nears 100, One year later, Surfside survivors recall collapse and healing journey, Memorial held for victims of the Surfside tragedy on anniversary of the condo collapse, Judge approves $1 billion settlement in deadly Florida condo collapse, "Voice in the rubble" victim of Surfside condo collapse is identified, Lawsuit claims construction triggered deadly condo collapse, history of maintenance and structural concerns. He was obviously sleeping, Balboa said two weeks ago. There was nothing there, and people were screaming. "I didn't know where to run. We reached out to a Surfside spokesperson for a response but did not hear back. "Three families that I know well," he . Now she has moved in with family members and assumes what's left of the building will be torn down with no chance to recover belongings. Was any of that shared with the rest of residents? Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. But subsidence, or the gradual sinking of land, likely would not on its own cause a building to collapse, according to Wdowinski, whose expertise is in space geodesy, natural hazards and sea level rise. She then went down to the garage to discover it was flooded with water upto her ankles. I don't even know why. Albert Aguero and his family had asimilarclose call. The report from the firm of Morabito Consultants said the ground-floor pool deck was resting on a concrete slab that had major structural damage and needed to be extensively repaired, and uncovered abundant cracking and spalling of concrete columns, beams and walls in the parking garage. And I don't know - we just - we climbed out of rubble. So Sara went to the front lobby to talk to the security guard. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Susana, I'm so sorry for everything you've lost. The identification brings the total death toll to 98 victims. Updated on: July 14, 2021 / 9:25 PM Friends she's staying with outfitted her with new clothes and a computer. Over a month after a condominium complex near Miami abruptly collapsed overnight, local officials said Monday theyve identified the remains of a final missing person, sending the disasters overall death toll to 98. I can only imagine how many people were in their apartments either sleeping or watching TV or just whatever, just living their lives. ALVAREZ: It makes me think that the engineer did not properly do his work. The rumble was followed by a loud crash and debris as part of a condo complex collapsed in Surfside . (Liyah Deveaux) By KELLI KENNEDY. Another requires condo owners to maintain a reserve fund to address needed repairs. "I don't think I've really processed what happened.". Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Always. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Meanwhile, another 120 people have been accounted for, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. All rights reserved. "Especially at nighttime. What we know about the building that partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Like, you feel like an earthquake is happening right in front of you," he said. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. Gabe said it sounded like construction but in the middle of the night, it was suspect. Some of the medical examiners reports reviewed by the newspaper showed injuries such as broken legs, possible fractures or small cuts that wouldnt have resulted in immediate death, the report said. It's not like her, and it's not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why." Sharon Schechter, 60, described her escape to WPLG, saying she believes she was only one of two people who survived from her floor when the 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South near Miami partially collapsed early Thursday morning. I thought it was a wonderful property because I was so happy. After a failed attempt duringthe 2022 legislative session, lawmakers in May returned to Tallahasseeandpassed legislation designed to prevent a similar disaster. Their car was destroyed in the building's garage. It wasnt about my home. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela have all reported nationals who have been affected by the building collapse in Surfside, with more than a dozen still missing. With Eyal traveling for work often, Gabe told CBS News he decided to live with his mom and teen sister to help them out. Crews searched for hours but were unable to find her, the report said. Albert and Janette Aguero suddenly awoke early Thursday to what they said sounded like a "really loud clap of thunder." Rescue crews . 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. Raysa Rodriguez, a retired postal worker who lived at Champlain Towers South for 17 years and was close to paying off her mortgage, described in a lawsuit she filed against the condominium association how crashing sounds roused her from bed the night of the collapse. Rescue teams have tunneled into an underground parking lot for the condo building, creating a 125ft-long trench in an attempt to find air pockets in which people may have survived. In the early morning hours of June 24, Sara, Gabe and Chani were home but all three had a reason to be awake later than usual. Balboa said he told the uncle, Sorry I couldnt get to his sister faster.. And when we got outside again, all I could hear were the people screaming. When he told me My building collapsed, I believed something wrong happened during the building or something broke, but not the whole building on the floor.. The NIST received $22 million in supplemental funding from Congress to complete its investigation. I left my cat behind. Families deserve to know what really happened to their loved ones. ALVAREZ: Yes. As of Friday night, at least four people were confirmed dead and 159 people were unaccounted for as search crews continued to work through the wreckage. And the building was covered with smoke - smoke everywhere. The structural engineer has been around for a while. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. If the cause of death could have been multiple things, and we dont have enough evidence to say definitely what it was, we dont list possible causes.. "As soon as she goes down to the front, I hear this loud rumble. All rights reserved. He ran to his apartment to drop off his dog, and when he returned to the wreckage, he heard screaming under the rubble. And it was just a lot - what looked like smoke, which must've been dust. "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency," the statement noted. All rights reserved, How to Help Victims of the Surfside Building Collapse, Deeply Emotional': Families of the Missing Visit Site of Florida Condo Collapse, Viral Kids' Star Ms. Rachel Is Taking a Break From Social Media After Backlash Over Co-Star Who Uses They/Them Pronouns, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Flight Attendant Hit the Ceiling': 7 Hospitalized After Severe Turbulence Diverts Flight to Virginia, Check Your Change! . I mean, the bed was shaking. An attorney for James River Insurance Company wrote to the judge in one case this week that it plans to "voluntarily tender its entire limit" from the associations policy toward resolving claims. The 101-pageproposal included provisions helping ensure corporations stay up to speed on maintenance and inspections. Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. There was people alive in there. An engineer apparently warned the building's condo association of major structural damage back in 2018. I was going to retire there. A mother "They are going to basically have to start all over again," Capponi said. A 13-second video from inside the Miami condo collapse shows debris falling, the footage shaking and the the video cutting out. A woman who survived the collapse of a condo building in Florida said she escaped by climbing through the rubble in the dark with her dog. July 5, 2021 4 . GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's been a lot of news coming out about why this might have happened. However, NPR has been able to confirm that the meeting did take place in 2018. Nir, a recent college graduate, was living there while he looked for a job and considered medical school. "There was no . Fire-rescue logs obtained by the paper showed that search dogs found signs of life in the Champlain Towers South wreckage site multiple times in the hours after the 1:25 a.m. collapse. ", VIDEO SHOWS WATER GUSHING INTO GARAGE BEFORE SURFSIDE BUILDING FELL. At least two members of the family were seriously injured in the collapse one is still missing. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava speaks to ABC News for an interview on "Good Morning America" on June 25, 2021. "We said, 'We have to run, don't take anything,'" Longobardi recalled during an interview Friday on "GMA" with ABC News' T.J. Holmes. When you start hitting seven days, that really goes down." Survival depends on several factors - mainly access to air and water, ability to regulate body temperature, pre-existing health conditions, injuries sustained during the collapse, and mental will to live. ALVAREZ: Yes. Some of the victims of the devastating condo collapse in Surfside, Fla., may have been alive for hours after the building first caved in but were never found alive by rescue . It's not known if those factors played a role in the collapse. "People didn't want to answer they didn't know what was going on outside.". But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. They have no luggage. And please understand that I don't care - everything I lost in that condo, including my parents' wedding rings and my father's 18-karat gold watch from Cuba that was engraved and all that - I don't care. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. It was like a sandstorm. Please enter valid email address to continue. One provision stipulates that condos taller than three stories must be inspected every ten years. "Im just grateful I made it out alive with my family," Nir said. "We were just tremendously lucky.". When Rosenthal opened his front door, he saw his hallway had been blocked by debris from the collapse. A massive search-and-rescue effort is underway following the partial collapse of a 12-story condominium building in Surfside, Miami, early June 24, 2021. Accuracy and availability may vary. It was about the life that I had there. The whole experience, she told Today, was really surreal., Unfortunately, we did hear screams. 1401 79th Street Causeway After he saw the damage on TV, De Moura said he had to drive his car to the condo building to see it for himself. But the staircase directly outside their unit was collapsing, he said, so they had to find another one. Elected officials told the paper that first responders lacked adequate resources and the experience in dealing with such a massive and catastrophic incident. ", She made her way to a nearby stairwell and tried to exit on the pool deck, but the door was jammed. Gabriel Nir narrowly escaped a first-floor apartment with his mother and 15-year-old sister. On Tuesday, Balboa told CNN in a phone call that the boys uncle reached out to him on June 28 on Facebook, and also called him to say thank you for saving his nephew. Support . OfeOsin-Cohen, anotherfourth-floor resident who escaped,told NBC's "Today" showshewassound asleepwhen she hearda weird sound and feltthe building shake. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Susana Alvarez, who lived on the 10th floor of the building that collapsed in Surfside, Florida. Furniture sits perched in the remains of apartments sheared in half, in the still standing portion of the Champlain Towers South condo building, more than a week after it partially collapsed.