Families waited to hear news about missing loved ones Thursday morning as rescue efforts continued after a 12-story oceanside condo collapsed into a heap of rubble, leaving residents trapped and at least one person dead.
About 70 people crammed into a room with chairs and blue gym mats on the floor at a reunification site set up by the American Red Cross. Family members and building residents listened to police give updates in anxious silence. Young children slept in blankets. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett confirmed at least one person had died.
Pablo Rodriguez, a 40-year-old Miami native, said his 64-year-old mother and 88-year-old grandmother lived in the wing that collapsed.
Rodriguez told USA TODAY that he last spoke to his mom Wednesday to discuss the family weekend plans – the grandmother and great-grandmother were going to pick up Rodriguez’s 6-year-old son and spend the weekend together. Next month would have been his grandmother’s 89th birthday. Rodriguez had plans to surprise her with brunch at a nice restaurant.
» Subscribe to USA TODAY:
» USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR.
#maimi
Dear God, help those family and friends in grief and in need!!!
SO HELP YOU GOD SAME THING I HEARD WHEN I WAS CONVICTED IN COURST BY MY SIR NAME GOD SO I AM THE CREATOR I AMNOT THIS BODY OR MIND WAKE UP…NEED TO SAVE YOUR SELVES JESUS SAID ARE YE GODS I TELL YOU.
Super speculation but my bet is on sink hole. We lost an entire building at my Florida Time share to a sink hole. One of the security guys noticed the windows breaking and got everyone out before the building was lost.
They will blame it on global warming.
@Arnie Davis Hence my qualifier “Super Speculation”
@Drew k – “They” will decide that was god’s will. That’s what stupid people do when they have no answers. We need better people involved than “they” are.
The garage is flooded with water so maybe it was a sinkhole.
@Gary Pranzo I asked the same question of a Civil Engineer friend of mine who lives in Potomac, Maryland. His reply? It would have to be a very large sink hole to bring a building of this size down.
Looking at the images it reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing.
@nick gratton your implying i work at being nutty for a living lol i wish i would solve lots of crimes and the government would be freaking out because in some form or fashion they cause almost every single incident wether it be by just words or harassment or physical tyranny or human rights abuses or just plain murder..
@Shawn the kind that wanted him to be asleep so he couldnt run away
@nick gratton you know when buildings “collapse” they actually fall on themselves so most of the structure is broken but still attached.. In this case the broken pieces are completely obliterated
@Miah Aka groundhog the entire event is caught on camera. There’s no missile striking the building no bombs. What we do know is a florida professor inspected the building and said last year it’s sinking. Again stop with your whacksdoodle bs theories. The evidence is clear
@nick gratton then how come there is no video? I havnt seen it. Post the link smart one
911 vibes
Well this is one time I am glad to be too poor to have ever lived there.
For real man.
Very true Mr.J.
What a terrible tragic loss. God be with them and their families.
Our prayers go to all for safe recovery and condolences to those who lost loved ones!
V the
Yes we
LOL. T
Prayers. I saw the notification just after it aired and have been praying since. My heartfelt condolences and prayers and hang in there if you have been personally affected by this tragedy~my heart goes out to you as so many too, send their love and prayers. ❤️🇺🇸
TO BECOME PREY…SAVE YOUR SELF IS THE TRUTH NOW YOU WILL LISTEN…..
My prays are with the families, and the workers at the building! What a terrible tragedy!!
Horrific 😢 Praying for everyone 🙏
99 still unaccounted for? I really hope they find them.
99 missing persons??? Omg.omg I am praying for the people 🥁⚘
This is not a natural disaster…its a man made…disaster…
I’m Four minutes into this video I’m here not mentioning any type of terrorist threat or action. They are totally acting like this is something natural. I’m confused. It is not natural I agree with you!
@Citiboy I don’t think he meant terrorist. I think he meant how crappy the building was built and managed.
It was Antifa!!!! and the deep state!!
I agree
It’s about time to inspect and fix the aging infrastructures in the country!!! This is not supposed to happen in the US! RIP to those who died in the incident😔
This has nothing to do with infrastructures. That is roads, bridges dams etc. Nothing to do with privately owned buildings.
I know what you mean, my first thought was why didn’t the company responsible for maintenance of that building do something sooner. I hope they’re held accountable and all other properties they own are inspected. Maybe there should be more inspections period.
Looks like one of those building demolitions.
EXACTLY! I’ve been saying that. Looks like a classic controlled demolition.
Praying for those rescue crews also – such a dangerous situation.
A sinkhole is the only thing that makes sense.
Check out the very recent explosion off the Florida East Coast to test an aircraft carrier. It was a 20 kilo ton blast. The US Geological Survey measured a magnitude 3.9 earthquake.
Buildings just don’t collapse like that and turned to Rubble the Flash’s look awful familiar something ain’t right