/ CBS News. This is one of the most complex building failure investigations ever undertaken, said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who co-leads the investigation. But it wasn't even a minute that went by when it was - my bed started to shake like if I was on a - like I was on a ride. The 12-story residential complex in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach, partially collapsed before 1:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. As the search for survivors enters its fifth day, those who escaped are recounting harrowing tales of survival after last week's condo collapse in Surfside.At least 10 people have been confirmed . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. And I ran out the front door. The Champlain Towers South Condo Association was preparing to start a new construction project to make updates and the condominium had been through extensive inspections, according to Kenneth Direktor, a lawyer for the association. Alfredo and Marian Lopez were sound asleep around 1:30 a.m. Thursday when they heard the first boom, like a crash of thunder from a Florida . The couple fled down the emergencystairwell, but couldn't open the lobby door. A class-action complaint updated on Nov. 10 alleges that the towers were badly damaged and destabilized because of excavation and construction at the neighboring 18-story Eighty Seven Park condominium, according to court documents. "Its nothing short of amazing.". Their car was destroyed in the building's garage. Search and Rescue personnel pull a body out of the rubble after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, on June 24, 2021. I closed the balcony doors. Search and Rescue personnel work at a partial collapse building . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. A "substantial number" of the condominium's residents are from overseas and "almost a third" of those reported missing are foreign citizens, according to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Support . 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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It doesn't sound silly. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. Market data provided by Factset. , even as police and forensic specialists continue working to identify human remains. About six months ago, the Nir family moved to Surfside, Florida. Search for bodies concludes in Surfside condo collapse The 60-year-old told WPLG she had to climb over rubble through the dark with her dog. The family had just moved in six months ago. Officials said Thursday they're making plans for the likely demolition of all parts of the building that didn't collapse. First published on July 14, 2021 / 2:21 PM. And that, to me, is the worst thing, and that's all I want back. Im like, All right, Im in the middle of it. A Florida judge on Thursday approvedasettlement of more than $1 billionto families who lost loved ones in the collapse of the beachfront condominium building. She did - to yoga with me. They're working around the clock and they're using every possible tool," she added. 1:33. Did Mavericks kneel during national anthem. . They chose to live in Champlain Towers South. Surfside condo collapse victim Luis Pettengill played college tennis at Indianas Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 2007. 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. What are you thinking at this moment? I (opened) the doors and a wall of dust hit me," she said in the filing. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! "We lost everything, so there's so many things that your mind goes crazy. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Firefighters on Friday declared the end of their search for bodies at the site of a collapsed Florida condo building, concluding a month of painstaking work removing . "I remember screaming to my mom and my sister, 'Run, run, just run for your life,'" Gabe said, adding that he heard screaming from others and it felt like a nightmare. A Miami-Dade County grand jury on Wednesday released a series of recommendations for condo safety throughout Florida after a deep examination of the deadly collapse in Surfside earlier this year. An aerial view showing a partially collapsed building in Surfside near Miami Beach, Fla., June 24, 2021. ALVAREZ: Not to that extent. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. "It felt like the whole building was shaking," Schechter said, adding that she went to look out the window. Live Updates: Miami-Area Condo Collapse Rescue crews race to find scores of people still missing in the wreckage Binx The Cat, A Survivor Of The Florida Condo Collapse, Was Reunited With His Family I mean, did you have any idea that the building was unsound? The disaster that killed at least 18 people, with more than 140 still missing, also rendered dozens of people homeless. I think that it was a progressive evolution, and every hour that went by, we continued to add resources.. As of Wednesday, officials said 75 people were confirmed dead and 90 of the victims have been identified. The Champlain Towers South condominium was built in the 1980s and was up for its 40-year recertification, according to Surfside officials. The second body was pulled out a short while later. Always. Dubai-based DAMAC Properties won a $120 million bid to acquire the 1.8 acres. The building's shocking anddevastating collapselast month killed at least 97 people inside but the Nirs managed to get out alive. "At that point, we knew it was a race against time because I didn't know if the rest of the building was coming [down].". "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. The Miami Herald, in a multimedia investigative story,reported last December that the collapse beganwhen the ground-floor parking area and pool deck caved in, and found that design failures, shoddy construction, damage and neglect over the past 40 years lined up like dominoes to create the perfect conditions for a deadly chain reaction.. "Any time we hear like, 'boom,' or just something that's very unusual, anything that brings those flashbacks, it's just terrifying and it's very traumatizing," he said. All rights reserved. CNNs Eric Levenson contributed to this report. Firefighterseventuallyrescued him from his fourth-floor balcony. 2. Gabriel Nir narrowly escaped a first-floor apartment with his mother and 15-year-old sister. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, Champlain Towers South near Miami partially collapsed, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, butlight showers make brief return, Friday Nightcap: Winners & losers of the week, Two boats, carrying 48 Cuban migrants, make landing on Dry Tortugas in Florida Keys, Big rigs flipped by strong winds during severe weather. 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. This is a 1 in 10,000 year earthquake that hits Florida.. Deven survived the partial collapse of a condo tower near Miami. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And this is, of course, the middle of the night, so it's dark. That's when the family started hearing loud noises. Last Wednesday night, hours before the collapse, Erick De Moura was walking out of girlfriend Fernanda Figueiredos Miami Beach home to head to his condo in Champlain Towers South. WOMAN TRAPPED IN CONDO RUBBLE PLEADED WITH RESCUERS TO SAVE HER. A high-rise condo building in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed on June 24, leaving at least 95 people dead, with as many as 14 potentially still missing Tuesday afternoon. I have friends in Surfside. 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 just ran out. I could hear people crying and screaming for help, Lopez told the Herald. About three dozen people were able to escape from the portion of the building that remained standing. Legal Statement. And 156 people are still unaccounted for. It was not a clap of thunder and it wasn't a storm; it was something else," Albert Aguero told ABC News' T.J. Holmes in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America.". After a failed attempt duringthe 2022 legislative session, lawmakers in May returned to Tallahasseeandpassed legislation designed to prevent a similar disaster. July 14, 2021 / 6:01 AM / CBS Miami. And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. "We cannot say what is the reason for that from the satellite images but we can say there was movement here.". "We're lucky to be here.". "Some of them dont have insurance, and theyve lost everything they worked all their lives for. Heavy machinery is used to remove a support column as search and rescue personnel work atop the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo building on Friday. 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! 2023 Cable News Network. And there were no elevators, just open holes. 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. What we know about the building collapse so far. 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. A few seconds later, his bed and room began to shake and Rosenthal jumped out of bed to see what was happening. Im in a dream in California. De Moura lived in unit 1004. But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. The collapsed condo was about to begin . Market data provided by Factset. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Jen Psaki offers to help coordinate rescue of US citizens Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Prince Harry says psychedelics are fundamental part of his life, Inside Scheana Shay, Raquel Leviss heated confrontation about Tom Sandoval affair, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And have you been back to the building? "I know that they are hopeful, so we are hopeful as well.". "My initial reaction is wow, we were so lucky. We talked aboutitand we say it's about 15 feet that we survived by, if we had been 15 feet to the right, it would have gone down, or half of the apartment would have gone down," Aguero said. At approximately 1:20 a.m. on June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story, 136-unit condo building at 8777 Collins Ave., Surfside . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, A Miami-Dade county official told ABC News that there's real concern about the structural integrity of the remaining building, particularly from dangling wires and portions of concrete. Rescue workers continued digging feverishly for a sixth day Tuesday, after stressing Monday that they could still find survivors in the rubble of a collapsed Surfside condo building. (AP), OFFICIALS PLANNING FOR LIKELY DEMOLITION OF REMAINING STRUCTURE. The identification brings the total death toll to 98 victims. A Warner Bros. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". We're going to hear now from one of the survivors of that collapse. Albert Aguero (top left), his wife Janette Aguero (bottom right), his son Justin Willis (top right) and his daughter Athena Aguero (bottom left) speak to ABC News for an interview on "Good Morning America" in Surfside, Fla. on June 25, 2021. I mean, I know that sounds silly, but that's all I want, my cat back. How many people survived the Surfside 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. Gabe said it sounded like construction but in the middle of the night, it was suspect. We're here! And there was water - a lot of water. People stand at the Surfside Community Center where authorities are taking residents and relatives from a partially collapsed building in Surfside near Miami Beach, Fla., June 24, 2021. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. "We decided to run to the other side of the building, the north side of the building, where there is another staircase," he said. Dressed in flip-flops and pajamas, Alfredo and Marian Lopez left their home of 22 years afterwhat sounded like a loud crash of thunder woke them from their sixth-floor apartment at the northwest corner of the Champlain Towers South. she told WPLG. Its a miracle. July 5, 2021 4 . GARCIA-NAVARRO: It sounds like you want answers. Sara and Eyal Nir have six kids and two of them, Gabe and Chani, moved into the condominium building with them. I can't even explain it. For five long . The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. Yes, I want answers. Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I'm very, very emotional. GARCIA-NAVARRO: You were in the building when it collapsed. 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. "While we're running, we're thinking, we don't know what's going on. A Haitian man once survived for two weeks within the wreckage of a building after a . They have been hampered by torrential rain and fires and have had to move with excruciating care. Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. ALVAREZ: I'll be all right. Your email address will not be published. Was any of that shared with the rest of residents? The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. He was obviously sleeping, Balboa said two weeks ago. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. Surfside Resident Who Survived Condominium Collapse Wants Answers NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Susana Alvarez, who lived on the 10th floor of the building that collapsed in Surfside, Florida "It's very hard for us to even think about these people that are not there with us anymore," he said. The Lopez family has lived for two decades on the street side of the condo that's still partially intact. I went with the people. I thought a bomb - I mean, that was my first - when I saw that building missing, I mean, I was like, I have to get out of here. But the staircase directly outside their unit was collapsing, he said, so they had to find another one. The Police Believe 98 People Died in the Condo Collapse. One Hasn't Areas where land is subsiding are more likely to experience more serious effects of sea level rise, according to the study, which was published in the international journal Ocean & Coastal Management. The teens rescue was one of at least 37 people rescued the day of the collapse. It was like 'Titanic,'" she said. One year later, heres what we know so far. But the kindness of people has been phenomenal. Thats what saved me. So far, only five people have been confirmed dead. I was standing right here, De Moura said just outside of her home. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. "Especially at nighttime. Alfredo Lopez and his wife describe how they escaped the crumbling Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Man Who Survived Being Buried Under Rubble in India Reflects on ALVAREZ: I was in bed, and I heard a tremor. I can't imagine. 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 . July 23, 2021 / 11:29 PM / AP. Since the collapse, Balboa said he has replayed that moment in his mind many times, wondering what he could have done differently to save more people, he told CNN. I only care about the cat. Sara and Eyal Nir have six kids and two of them, Gabe and Chani, moved into the condominium building with them. 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. The uncle said that Jonah was out of the hospital with only minor injuries, according to Balboa. The public may view the reports by going to WSVN.com and clicking on "FCC Public File", or by visiting the FCC's website at FCC.org. At a news conference Monday, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that the final missing persons family had been notified following the identification of the individuals remains, formally ending the search. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In the main lawsuit, brought by surviving family members, they argued thatrepair work to a neighboring building damaged and destabilized the Surfside building, which was found to be in need of major structural repairs to its foundation for years. They managed to survive the collapse after Sara Nir heard loud noises and then saw the parking deck collapse. GARCIA-NAVARRO: But you know if you'd done that, you might have lost your life. Ryan Logan, the American Red Cross' regional disaster officer for south Florida, said the organization has been helping about 18 families, and some of them have been looking for ways they can help other victims.