Florida building collapse: 12 people confirmed dead, 149 missing

The number of confirmed deaths due to the collapse of an oceanfront condo building in Surfside, Florida has now increased to 12, informed Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Tuesday (local time).

"Since our last briefing, very unfortunately, one additional victim was recovered," Cava said during a press conference, The Hill reported.

Meanwhile, the number of people still unaccounted for has officially been updated to 149. "These numbers are very fluid and they continue to change," Cava told reporters during the briefing.

The Miami-Dade County Mayor further informed that an official audit is being performed to review the list of people who remain unaccounted for to ensure the removal of possible duplicates.

Rescuers continue to work around the clock in hopes of finding additional people on the scene, however inclement weather and falling debris are hindering search efforts.

The Hill reported that US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit Surfside on Thursday to pay their respects to the victims of the building collapse.

"They want to thank the heroic first responders, search and rescue teams, and everyone who has been working tirelessly around the clock and meet with the families who have been forced to endure this terrible tragedy," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.

A large oceanfront condo building near Miami Beach partially collapsed last Thursday, prompting a massive search-and-rescue response as many people were reported missing.

The cause of the collapse is still unknown. However, new details are emerging about the integrity of the structure noted in an engineering report in 2018. Experts who have reviewed available data about condo collapse say probe into its cause should focus on potential failures near the base of the building.

A 2020 study conducted by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the department of earth and environment at Florida International University, found that the building had been sinking since the 1990s, according to US media.

A local official had earlier informed board members that the building was in good shape. The statement sparked controversy as an engineering firm had already warned about the structural flaws in the building back in November 2018, Fox News reported on Tuesday.

(ANI)

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