First Lady Dr.Jill Bidenon Thursday sent her condolences to Florida in the wake of thedeadly condo building collapsethere hours earlier.
“I would like to say how saddened the president and I were to hear about the building in Miami that crumbled,” she said during a previously scheduled visit to central Florida to encourage people to get vaccinated againstCOVID-19.
“Our hearts are with all Floridians today,” she said.
PresidentJoe Bidenalso addressed the building collapse after a speech touting a new agreement with Senate Republicans on infrastructure spending.
He said that officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency were on the ground in Surfside, just outside Miami, and he pledged more support from his administration, pending a request from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I say to the people of Florida: Whatever help you want, the federal government can provide — we’re waiting, just ask us,” he said. “We’ll be there.”
The aftermath of the collapse of the condo building in Surfside, Florida.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue/Twitter
At least one person was killed and nearly 100 more were missing after the earth-shaking collapse of a wing of the 12-story Champlain Towers around 1:30 a.m.
“The building is literally pancaked,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkettsaid. “That is heartbreaking because it doesn’t mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive.”
“They brought dogs who can sniff for survivors in the rubble,” Surfside Commissioner Eliana SalzhauertoldTheMiami Herald. “They aren’t turning up very much. No one is celebrating anyone being pulled out.”
The cause of the collapse remains unknown, and the Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation. Officials said that search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing.
source: people.com
