Miami Building Collapse: Demands For Answers Grow
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said people “have a right to know” how a 12-storey building collapsed in the US city of Miami, as the search for survivors continues.
At least 102 people have now been accounted for, but it is uncertain how many were inside when it came down.
Questions are now growing about what caused the building to collapse.
Speaking on Friday, Governor DeSantis said the focus remained on finding survivors.
But he called for a “timely” explanation for what happened, adding they needed to know “if this is a bigger issue, or something unique to the building”.
Champlain Towers South was completed in 1981. When it collapsed it was going through a recertification process for 40-year-old buildings, in line with city safety regulations.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a press conference on Friday night she was hopeful they would find survivors overnight.
“We have hope because that’s what our search and rescue team tells us, that they have hope,” she told reporters.
Rescuers are working in rotation with a limited number allowed on site at any one time to prevent any further collapse, she said.
Teams from Mexico and Israel have also reportedly arrived to help with the search.
As night fell on Friday, the fire rescue service warned people nearby to stay indoors due to the “smoky conditions”.
