Dead, missing and more: what we know about the collapse in Miami

Who are the unlocated Latin Americans in Miami?

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(CNN) -

Rescue teams have arrived in the coastal city of Surfside, Florida, as families await news of their loved ones after the collapse of a condo building Thursday.

At least nine people died, 152 are missing and 134 were accounted for in the Champlain Towers South collapse Sunday night, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a news conference.

The disappeared come from at least nine countries, most of them from Latin American countries, as well as from multiple religious communities.

Israeli rescuers have arrived in the coastal city to assist local, state and federal agencies in their search efforts.

Rescuers from Mexico are expected to arrive this Monday.

Over the weekend, crews were able to dig trenches, contain a deep-rooted fire and excavate at the collapse site to remove victims while crews on the ground used dogs, sonars and heavy equipment to locate the missing.

• The disappeared from the Miami building: the stories of their relatives

On Sunday, relatives were taken by bus from the reunification center to the site of the collapse to pay their respects and witness the efforts that rescuers are making to find their relatives.

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Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the Newsroom show that he will continue to support search and rescue operations until everyone is pulled from the rubble.

I hope there are miracles.

I am expecting many miracles, "he said.

Meanwhile, the collapse has prompted other cities to reconsider their certification and recertification processes, with one city less than miles from the collapse beginning new inspections on Monday.

The victims of the collapsed building

So far, at least nine people have been confirmed dead after the collapse, eight of them identified by authorities as of Sunday night.

The first victim was identified Friday as 54-year-old Stacie Fang.

She is the mother of Jonah Handler, the boy who was pulled alive from the rubble, his family said in a statement.

"There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie," the family said.

"The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much-needed source of strength during this devastating time."

Search and rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble with their dogs at Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., On Sunday, June 27, 2021.

Authorities identified three more victims Saturday as Antonio Lozano, 83;

Gladys Lozano, 79, and Manuel LaFont, 54.

On Sunday they released the identities of four more victims: Leon Oliwkowicz, 80;

Luis Bermúdez, 26 years old;

Anna Ortiz, 46 years old;

and Christina Beatriz Elvira, 74. One victim has not yet been identified by the authorities.

"The process of identifying these victims is very difficult," Levine Cava said Saturday.

We're going to depend on DNA tests.

And that's why we've already been collecting DNA samples from family members, so everyone participated and provided DNA to help us with the research.

"This allows us to do rapid DNA testing on site to detect bodies," he explained.

But the wait becomes even more excruciating for some, as burials, traditionally done a few days after death in Jewish tradition, cannot occur until the dead are recovered.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Miami volunteered to help community members organize funeral and burial services.

Latin American missing

31 people from six Latin American countries are missing, according to authorities.

Argentina: 9 missing.

Paraguay: 6 missing.

Colombia: 6 missing.

Venezuela: 6 missing.

Uruguay: 3 missing.

Chile: a disappeared person.

• What we know about the Miami building collapse investigation as of Monday

Search and rescue teams

Rescue teams from other countries are traveling to Florida to assist locals with rescue operations as the scene continues to be a challenging situation.

A team of 10 rescuers from Israel arrived Sunday morning, Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, told CNN.

They went to the scene of the collapse and "were at the scene most of the day," Guthrie said.

Burkett said a rescue team from Mexico is expected to arrive on Monday.

Crews have been working non-stop since the collapse early Thursday morning, and rescuers changed shifts as weather and fires complicated their efforts.

Smoke from a deep fire made the first days of the rescue operation difficult, as visibility was poor and temperatures high, according to Burkett.

Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky called conditions at the site "horrible."

«It is difficult to describe.

We don't have the gaps we expect, ”Cominsky said Sunday.

We're still looking.

So that's what I mean by horrible.

It's just a difficult, difficult situation.

Levine Cava said rescuers are using a grid search approach in the debris pile and continue to use sonar, cameras and K9 assets.

The problem is not resources, but luck, according to Burkett.

“We have a full team of highly experienced search and rescue people.

We have waves of them going over that pile of rubble right now, ”Burkett told CNN on Sunday.

"We have everything we need and more, we just need a little luck and we did," he explained.

“We were having the rains, we were having the fire.

Both have decreased and now he is 100% focused on getting people out of there, ”Burkett said.

“We are doing exactly that.

We have armies ready to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It won't stop until we get everyone out.

The structural report showed major problems in 2018

Structural problems were already seen in the building in the 2018 report 4:49

While rescuers are continuing their efforts at the scene of the collapse, new details are emerging about the integrity of the structure noted in an engineering report more than two years ago.

A 2018 report completed by Morabito Consultants, a structural engineering firm, "detailed significant cracks and breaks in the concrete," a statement from the firm said Saturday.

The group said it provided a budget to "make extensive and necessary repairs" to the condo association.

The report did not indicate whether the structure was at risk of collapse.

Morabito was again hired by the condo association in June 2020 for the building's 40-year repair and restoration process, according to the statement.

At the time of the collapse, roof repairs were underway, but concrete restoration had not started, the firm said, adding that it "exclusively provides" engineering consulting services and does not provide construction-related services.

“We are deeply concerned about the collapse of this building and are working closely with the investigating authorities to understand why the structure failed.

As we do so, we also continue to pray for all those affected by this tragic event, ”the firm said in the statement.

According to an NPR report, Rosendo Prieto, who was working as a city construction official at the time, assured residents of Champlain Towers South that their building was "in very good condition" at a November 2018 meeting. NPR quoted the minutes of the meeting you obtained.

Two days before the meeting, Mara Chouela, a member of the condominium board, sent a copy of a structural engineer report to Prieto that warned of "significant structural damage," according to an email released by the city on Saturday.

"The report of the structural engineer was reviewed by Mr. Prieto," said the minutes cited by NPR, in an apparent reference to the 2018 report of the structural engineer Morabito Consultants.

"It appears that the building is in very good condition," says the minutes, according to NPR.

Prieto no longer works for Surfside and is currently serving as an interim construction official for Doral, another city in Miami-Dade County, according to the Doral website and a county document.

Prieto has not responded to requests for comment from CNN.

Residents expressed concern about tremors during construction of a nearby building

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More than 150 people are being reported missing as search and rescue efforts continue with rescue teams from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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Members of the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team search for possible survivors at the Champlain Towers South condominium building on June 26, 2021 in Surfside, Florida.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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Photos of the missing residents are posted at a makeshift memorial near Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach, on June 26, 2021. Credit: ANDREA SARCOS / AFP via Getty Images

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Rescuers are rushing to find 159 people still missing in the mountain of rubble.

Four people have been confirmed dead.

Credit: ANDREA SARCOS / AFP via Getty Images

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An engineer warned of "major structural damage" to the building three years before it partially collapsed, according to a report on June 26.

Credit: ANDREA SARCOS / AFP via Getty Images

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Victoria Mayer and her son Antonio visit a makeshift monument.

Victoria said she has lived in Surfside for two years and is originally from Argentina.

Credit: ANDREA SARCOS / AFP via Getty Images

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Leo Soto kneels in front of a monument that includes photographs of missing persons.

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Photos of the missing residents are on a makeshift memorial at the site of the collapsed building in Surfside, Florida.

Credit: ANDREA SARCOS / AFP via Getty Images

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A couple embrace as they look at the rubble of the partially collapsed building.

Credit: MARCO BELLO / AFP via Getty Images

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Search and rescue personnel work to find survivors or victims in the Champlain Towers South condo building on June 26, 2021. Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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Flowers are placed on a park fence in honor of missing persons after a building partially collapsed in Surfside, north of Miami Beach.

Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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The remains of the partially collapsed building in Surfside north of Miami Beach, Florida on June 25, 2021. Credit: GIANRIGO MARLETTA / AFP via Getty Images →

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This aerial view shows search and rescue personnel working at the site after the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, on June 24, 2021. Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

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Members of the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team unload a K-9 to continue searching for possible survivors.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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More than 100 people are being reported missing as search and rescue efforts continue with rescue teams from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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People hug while waiting for news of family members at the Surfside Community Center north of Miami Beach, Florida, on June 25, 2021. Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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People comfort each other while waiting for news of relatives.

Credit: MARCO BELLO / AFP via Getty Images

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People use their phones while waiting for news about relatives.

Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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María Fernanda Martínez, Fayzah Bushnaq and Mariana Cordeiro embrace near where search and rescue operations continue.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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A man prays near where search and rescue operations continue.

The man, overwhelmed with emotion, said he had lost a relative in the collapse.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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People look at the remains of the collapsed building in Surfside north of Miami Beach, Florida, on June 25, 2021. Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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A crane removes the remains of a partially collapsed building in Surfside.

Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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The number of missing has risen to 159, fueling fears of a much higher death toll.

Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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Rescue workers on a crane inspect the wreckage of the collapsed building.

It is now known that four people died in the collapse.

Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Disruptive Content / Search and Rescue personnel pull a body out of the rubble of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, north of Miami Beach.

Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

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Search and rescue personnel work in the partially collapsed building during the night of June 24, 2021. Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

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The partial collapse of the building left huge piles of rubble and materials hanging from what was left of the structure.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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Firefighters used a ladder hose when smoke came from the debris.

Credit: Wilfredo Lee / AP

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This photo was tweeted by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue after a residential building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida.

Credit: MiamiDadeFire / Twitter

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"We are still hopeful that we can identify more survivors," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters near the scene.

"The state of Florida, we are offering all the help we can."

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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Rubble hangs from the building.

Credit: David Santiago / Miami Herald / AP

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Debris hangs from the collapsed building in Surfside, north of Miami Beach.

Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

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People embrace at a family reunification center where evacuees were staying in Surfside.

Chandan Khanna / AFP / Getty Images

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The cause of the collapse was not immediately known.

Credit: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue / SplashNews / Newscom

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Jennifer Carr sits with her daughter while they wait for news at the family reunification center in Surfside.

Credit: Lynne Sladky / AP

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Rescue personnel search the rubble with dogs.

Credit: David Santiago / Miami Herald / AP

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Miami Dade County Police said days of "severe traffic delays" are expected following the Surfside building collapse on roads around the issue.

The streets between 85th Avenue and 96th Street are closed, Miami Jade Police reported.

Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

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The building was constructed in 1981, according to Miami-Dade online property records.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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People lie on cots at the family reunification center in Surfside.

Credit: Lynne Sladky / AP

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South Florida authorities responded early Thursday to a "partial collapse of a building," the Miami-Dade Fire Department said.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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The building was undergoing roof retrofit work.

But the mayor did not say if that was a factor in the collapse.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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At least one person was killed in the landslide, Surfside, Florida Mayor Charles W. Burkett said.

The injured person was taken to hospital, where he died.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

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Ten people were treated at the scene and the building was cleared, said the mayor of Surfside, Florida.

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The building was cleared by firefighters.

The event occurred at around 2 a.m. local time.

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Burkett said the building's collapse was a "terrible catastrophe."

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Eliana Salzhauer, one of three Surfside, Florida city commissioners, told CNN Sunday night that survivors of the collapse she found have said they felt shaking during the construction of a nearby building in recent years.

Salzhauer said some of the survivors told him they were upset by the shaking of their building that occurred while a skyscraper was being built next door.

They told him there were tremors, cracks and water leaks in the garage, he said.

"They were very traumatized and shocked," Salzhauer said, adding that he heard people say that the building "shook all the time" during construction.

Salzhauer also said that the 2018 report completed by structural engineers was alarming.

“In retrospect, reading that report is very damning.

If you read that report, you say, 'Oh my God.

How could they not realize this? '”Salzhauer said.

Magaly Ramsey, daughter of one of the missing, Magaly Delgado, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Saturday that her mother had been concerned about tremors at nearby construction.

"When the other adjoining building was being built, which is relatively new, he complained about a lot of tremors and things that were being done to the other building, that he was sometimes worried about what might be happening in his building."

Ramsey explained.

Delgado was not the only one who expressed concern.

In an email to Prieto in 2019, Chouela, a board member for the condo, said he was concerned that nearby construction was "digging too close to our property."

"We have concerns regarding the structure of our building," said Chouela.

Local leaders reviewing construction protocols

The deadly collapse prompted nearby cities and towns to review their building recertification protocols.

A menos 10 kilómetros al norte de Surfside, la ciudad de Sunny Isles Beach comenzará a enviar equipos para inspeccionar edificios el lunes después de anunciar el sábado que modificarían el proceso existente para recertificaciones de edificios por 40 años, dijo a CNN la vicealcaldesa Larisa Svechin.

«Cuanto más ven los residentes lo que estamos haciendo, mejor es para todos», explicó Svechin.

El viernes, la ciudad de Miami envió una carta instando a los edificios que tienen más de seis pisos y más de 40 años a obtener una inspección de un ingeniero estructural calificado, dijo a CNN Stephanie Severino, directora de comunicación de la ciudad de Miami. Se les pide que respondan en un plazo de 45 días con cualquier posible inquietud estructural.

El alcalde de Boca Ratón, Scott Singer, le dijo a CNN en un correo electrónico el domingo que su ciudad está creando «estándares más estrictos para las certificaciones de edificios» luego del colapso de Surfside.

«Nuestro personal del edificio ha estado trabajando con otras jurisdicciones para determinar las mejores prácticas», dijo Singer en el correo electrónico. «Varios de nuestros condominios han estado trabajando en restauraciones integrales. Podemos esperar más de estos esfuerzos y mayores pasos para garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de nuestros residentes».

— Brian Todd, Amanda Watts, Gregory Lemos, Ryan Young, Bonney Kapp, Carolyn Sung, Keith Allen, Chuck Johnston, Sara Weisfeldt, Rosa Flores, Pamela Kirkland, Isabel Rosales, Denise Royal, Casey Tolan y Roxanne García de CNN contribuyeron con este reporte.

Colapso de edificio