Collapse of a building near Miami Beach: at least four dead and 159 missing, Biden promises federal assistance

Sylvie Claire / June 25, 2021

The collapse of an apartment building near Miami left at least four people dead and authorities still had no word on 159 others, the Miami-Dade County mayor said Friday.

The number of people unaccounted for has risen to 159. In addition, we confirm an increase in the death toll to four, said Daniella Levine Cava at a press conference.

Authorities are still hopeful that people will be found alive in the building that collapsed early Thursday in Florida, despite the extent of the damage and the compact nature of the rubble.

We will continue the search and rescue operations because we still have hope of finding people alive, added Daniella Levine Cava.The rescue workers are extremely motivated by the prospect of finding people. We have to force them to do their rotations, it shows how strong their motivation is.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis traveled to the scene of the disaster and declared a local state of emergency to allow the deployment of all necessary resources.

President Joe Biden has promised federal backup.