The rescue workers are still looking for survivors, but recently there was only grim news. The US President gives the relatives comfort – and finds dramatic words for their uncertainty.
Miami – Even a week after the partial collapse of a residential complex in the US state of Florida, the cause of the accident remains unclear.
There are various theories, but no clear answer to the question of how the twelve-story building collapsed, stressed US President Joe Biden during a visit to the scene of the accident. He promised a thorough investigation into the Surfside incident near Miami. This should also ensure that such a disaster does not repeat itself.
Biden was informed about the current status of the rescue operation from officials in Surfside. He also promised the full support of the federal government. He and his wife Jill also met rescue workers to thank them.
Search work resumed after stop
Shortly before Biden’s arrival, the search for people buried was temporarily stopped due to concerns about the stability of the part of the building that was still standing. In the evening, however, the authorities said that the salvage work had resumed after thorough examinations by the engineers. The remaining part of the building should be demolished, but “the search and rescue operation remains our top priority,” said the mayor of the Miami-Dade district, Daniella Levin Cava.
During his visit, Biden devoted most of his time to meet survivors and relatives of missing persons. “You’re going through hell,” he said. The relatives know that the chances of survival decrease every day. Many are also worried because they fear that they will not even be able to properly bury their loved ones. “It’s bad to lose someone. But the hard thing, the really hard thing is not knowing if someone survived or not, ”said Biden.
The conversations with the relatives moved him deeply, he said. “I thought it was important to speak to everyone who wanted to speak to me.” Before returning to Washington, Biden and his wife Jill stopped at an improvised memorial wall near the site of the accident, looked at photos of the missing and put down a bouquet of flowers.
Almost 150 people are still missing
The building with around 130 residential units partially collapsed last week on Thursday night. The misfortune surprised people in their sleep. Since then, the search for buried victims has been going on. Several hundred rescuers have been on duty around the clock in the past few days – with sniffer dogs, special cameras, listening instruments and heavy equipment. Almost 150 people are still missing. However, it is unclear whether they were actually all in the skyscraper at the time of the accident. It is feared that the number of deaths is likely to increase significantly.
Shortly after the partial collapse of the large residential complex, emergency teams were initially able to save several dozen people. In the past few days, however, the authorities have only announced gloomy news. The number of fatalities recovered from the rubble rose continuously and is now at 18. dpa
