In the wee hours of Thursday morning, as much of the city of Surfside, Florida was still asleep, a terrible rumble could be heard.
A massive residential high-rise in the Miami suburb had collapsed, taking with it tens, if not hundreds, of apartments with it. Many were likely asleep when the partial collapse occurred, and rescuers have been working for nearly 24 hours in an attempt to locate survivors by any means necessary.
In some cases, this has meant the use of dogs smelling for the distinctive over of human beings. In other others cases, it has been through the use of sonar technology, listening for noises within the rubble.
This latter method appears to be getting some results.
The tower partially collapsed early Thursday morning, and search crews said they have heard sound coming from the rubble. During a press conference in the afternoon, Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Ray Jadallah said rescuers had reported a possible “banging” sound, but “we haven’t heard any voices coming from the pile.” At least two people are currently hospitalized with injuries from the collapse. The Washington Post reports at least one person is confirmed dead, while at least 10 others are confirmed injured.
The Surfside building “was starting a critical inspection process. What went wrong?,” asked the Miami Herald. The tower was built in 1981, meaning it was due for its regular recertification process this year. “It’s not clear what stage the review process had reached and whether anything had been flagged” as an issue, writes the Herald. Sources said surrounding construction, proximity to the ocean, and possible structural corrosion could all contribute, though “building collapses are exceedingly rare and usually involve a ‘perfect storm’ of multiple factors.”
Previous inspectors of the building had noted that Champlain Towers were sinking into the ground slowly, leaving many to wonder if that hadn’t played a role in this collapse.
Nearly 100 people remain unaccounted for within the building.
