By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
After the early hours of Thursday morning an apartment building in the community of Surfside, Miami, South Florida, partially collapsed, consulates of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia reported that at least 30 nationals are missing.
According to local media, there are nine Argentines, six Paraguayans, six Colombians, six Venezuelans and three Uruguayans.
So far, more than 80 rescue units have responded to the disaster, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported. The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, and investigations and rescue efforts will continue.
At least four people are known to be dead and 159 are missing after the 12-storey building collapsed.
Speaking to The Miami Herald, emergency services spokesman Ray Jadallah confirmed that about 55 apartments collapsed early Thursday morning around 1:30 a.m. local time, leaving a large mountain of debris in the Surfside neighborhood.
Most residents in the building, called Champlain Towers South, were sleeping when the incident took place.
The rescue could take weeks
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site Thursday afternoon and called the collapse "truly dramatic" and reported that the Red Cross is placing victims in hotels.
Equipment was brought to the area, although Surfside Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer lamented that search and rescue operations could take days, according to NBC News.
"It could be weeks before we really know who is under the rubble, who survived, who did not survive," as the thunderstorm that has fallen in recent hours caused an interruption of the work, in which a special search dog team is also participating, he added.
Several Latinos in the collapse
The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry reported that at least six Paraguayans were in the building at the time of the collapse, including Sophia Lopez Moreira, sister of the first lady, Silvana de Lopez Moreira.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that six Colombians were residing in the property, and it is still being verified whether they were on the premises at the time of the incident.
On the other hand, sources from the Argentine Foreign Ministry stated, in declarations to the Télam agency, that 10 Argentines were in the apartments, although one of them was rescued; the rest are still missing.
U.S. President Joe Biden assured that the government is prepared to intervene in the area, which is why it is expected that a state of emergency will be declared in Florida today, which would free up funds for aid.
"I tell the people of Florida that the federal government can provide them with all the help they need," he said at a press conference.
Subsequently, the governor of Florida declared a state of emergency due to the event, as requested by the mayor of Miami-Dade, so that she will now be able to receive aid from the federal government.
With information from CNN, NBC News and Europa Press.
