The salvage work after the collapse of a residential complex in Surfside near Miami was initially interrupted in the morning. US President Biden visited the site of the accident and spoke to the relatives.
Miami – One week after the partial collapse of a twelve-story apartment building in the US state of Florida, President Joe Biden has described the suffering of the relatives of the missing in dramatic terms.
After meeting with survivors and relatives of the missing, Biden said, “You are going through hell.” The relatives are “realistic” and know that the chances of survival are getting a little less every day, he said. Many are also worried because they fear that they will not even be able to properly bury their loved ones.
The worst thing, however, is the uncertainty. “It’s bad to lose someone. But the difficult thing, the really difficult thing, is not knowing if someone survived or not, ”said Biden. The President had taken around three hours to meet with the relatives in Miami. “I found it important to speak to everyone who wanted to speak to me,” said Biden.
Previously, Biden had been informed of the current status of the rescue operation from officials in the vicinity of the accident site in Surfside. The number of fatalities recovered from the rubble is now 18 – including two children. Almost 150 people are still missing. It is therefore feared that the number of deaths is likely to increase significantly. The salvage work had been going on around the clock for a week. On Thursday morning, however, the search work was initially interrupted due to concerns about the stability of the part of the building that was still standing. dpa
