911 calls since Miami collapse reveal confusion and chaos

Relatives visit the scene of the tragedy in Miami 6:46

(CNN) -

911 calls during the first moments of the apartment building's deadly collapse last month in Surfside, Miami, reveal the chaos and confusion among residents and witnesses when the building collapsed.

"It looks like something underground, everything exploded," said a person who called the operators, adding that it looked like an earthquake.

Another caller, who told the operators they were in a parking lot, begged them to send help.

"I know the police are already here. Can someone help me out please?" The caller pleaded.

"I was able to escape, but I'm outside in the parking lot. If the building collapses, it will fall on my head."

A caller told operators that his sister lived in the building, but was confused about what happened and how people would be rescued.

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"I don't know if something happened to him, but half the buildings are no longer there," the caller said.

"There are two people, they are, they are alive, but they cannot leave because there is no building on the other side of their apartment."

CNN obtained and transcribed these frantic phone calls about three weeks after the Champlain Towers South fell.

Rescuers have been in the rubble for weeks searching for victims, a mission that changed from rescue to body recovery last week.

The number of victims increases

This Wednesday, the death toll in the condominium collapse rose to 97. Another 12 people are still missing.

Surfside tragedy: impact of climate change warned 1:11

Eighty-five of the victims were identified and 85 family members notified, said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

• Death toll after Miami building collapse rises to 97

An additional victim was identified Wednesday as Luis F. Barth Tobar, 51.

It was recovered from the rubble on July 10, according to a Miami-Dade Police press release.

Collapse Spurs Miami Building Safety Reviews

The deadly collapse has prompted building safety reviews in South Florida as officials and residents scramble to uncover the vulnerability of aging structures.

Miami-Dade requires building owners to hire an engineer to inspect their structures every 10 years after they turn 40, a requirement that was first approved after the collapse of a Miami office building, in 1974, which killed seven people.

Champlain Towers South was going to hit that 40-year mark this year.

The last city to conduct a review is Boca Raton, a city with a population of nearly 100,000.

Mayor Scott Singer said Tuesday his city council plans to institute a building recertification process similar to Miami-Dade and Broward County protocols.

Miami Beach reviews more than 500 buildings 0:47

But Singer noted there will be key differences, including a shorter timeline for recertifying buildings and higher reporting requirements.

The mayor added that officials are considering requiring the recertification of the buildings after 30 years or less, but the details will be further discussed in the coming weeks, when the city council presents the measure.

• Surfside inspectors visited Champlain Towers South dozens of times.

  Now its collapse is sparking calls for reform

"Our staff have been taking a comprehensive inventory of our buildings. But not only to serve family residences, but also our commercial buildings to find out what is most appropriate," Singer said at the city meeting, broadcast live. , on Tuesday.

"I thought it was very important that we be proactive, that we set stricter requirements and reassure people that we are taking more important steps for their safety," he added.

Should the way you search buildings in Miami change?

1:59

Boca Raton is located 61 kilometers off the Atlantic coast of Surfside.

Shortly after the collapse, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said officials will check buildings over 40 years old and more than five stories high, "making sure everything is in order" with the certification. adequate.

In nearby Sunny Isles Beach, Deputy Mayor Larisa Svechin said inspections on older apartment buildings would begin immediately.

The city of Miami sent a letter to the buildings urging new inspections for those over six stories tall and over 40 years old.

Crews continue to search for victims in the rubble of the building in Miami

The Champlain Towers South collapse, once too risky for heavy machinery, has now almost been leveled with the ground as bulldozers removed piles of debris Tuesday.

"The process of making identifications has become more difficult as time has passed," said Levine Cava.

"We must rely heavily on the work of the Office of Forensic Medicine [...] to identify human remains. The process is very methodical and careful and takes time," he said.

In addition to stopping intermittently for problems related to hazardous conditions brought on by the weather and changing debris, crews have worked almost non-stop at the site since the collapse on June 24.

Pets have been searched in the Miami landslide 0:56

Since then, they have collected more than 8 million pounds of concrete from the collapse site, Levine Cava said.

Security around the site is also being tightened, according to Surfside Mayor Charles, Mayor Burkett.

• Shaking all the time: Surfside condo owners complained about the construction of a luxury tower next door in Miami Beach

"First I want to mention something that becomes more and more evident as the operation progresses, and that is the meaning of that site with respect to the people who have lost their lives there," Burkett said during a briefing Monday.

"It is the right thing to do because it is obvious that this has become more than a collapsed construction site. It is a holy place."

Airlines offer free flight with families of victims

In support of the dozens of families mourning the loss of loved ones in the Miami building collapse, American Airlines and the United Way are collaborating to provide free roundtrip flights to and from Surfside, Burkett said Tuesday.

"As a local airline, American is committed to caring for our community by providing immediate assistance to families affected by this tragedy. In partnership with the United Way of Miami-Dade, we look forward to providing relief by reuniting families." Juan Carlos Liscano, vice president of operations for American's Miami Hub, said in a press release.

The tragedy has affected victims from multiple Latin American countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

Helping Those Affected by the Surfside Tragedy 8:05

Surfside, a small and eclectic city of about 6,000 people, is also home to a large population of Orthodox Jews.

After the collapse, when families were reuniting, it was common to hear a mixture of conversations in Hebrew, Spanish, English and Portuguese.

The diverse community came together, trying to hold on to strength in faith.

Synagogues and churches opened their arms for emergency prayer services after the collapse.

Vigils were held for the missing and many prayed, sobbed and embraced with the ruins of the tower visible in the background.

CNN's Tina Burnside, Kelsie Smith, Rebekah Riess and Faith Karimi contributed to this report.

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