Florida: The death toll in the apartment building collapse in Surfside, Florida, has gone up to 11, Florida Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. There are at least 150 people missing after the building collapse. Search and rescue teams are racing to find survivors, reports said.
Among the missing is a British mother and the sister-in-law of Paraguay's president. Bhavna Patel, a 38-year-old British- US citizen, her husband Vishal Patel, 42, and their one-year-old daughter Aishani remain unaccounted for, a relative said. Her family said that Bhavna is also expecting another child. The First Lady of Paraguay Silvana Abdo's sister, Sophia López Moreira, her husband Luis Pettengill and their three young children are also among the missing.
"As of today, one victim passed away in the hospital, and we've recovered 10 more victims on-site, so I am confirming that the death toll is at 11," the mayor said. "We are making every effort to identify those others who have been recovered, and additionally, contacting their family members as soon as we are able," she added.
Meanwhile, the City of Miami Beach has declared a state of emergency in the wake of the incident. President Joe Biden, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Mayor have issued emergency declarations as well. Family members of people who died or are still missing were taken to the site at Champlain Towers, according to the Mayor's office. With an additional six victims pulled from the debris, a total of 134 people have been accounted for while 150 remain unaccounted for, she said.
A 2020 study conducted by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the department of earth and environment at Florida International University, found that the building had been sinking since the 1990s, according to US media.
