Three People Connected to the Greater Chicago-Area Still Unaccounted For After Florida Condo Collapse
On Friday, June 25, 2021, The Chicago Tribune reported that more than 150 people were missing after a high-rise condominium partially collapsed near Miami Beach early Thursday. It’s estimated that 55 of the 136 residential units were affected. According to local officials, at least four people have died in the catastrophic event, and more than ten have been injured. The search amongst the rubble is expected to continue for several days and possibly weeks using rescue dogs and unique search technology and equipment such as sonar.
Public records identify the condo complex as Champlain Towers South in the oceanfront community of Surfside, home to about 6,000 people. The skyrise was built in 1981. It is still unknown exactly how many people were in the building at the time when the tragedy occurred or what caused the building to collapse partially.
According to an interview with Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, roof work was being done to the structure at the time of the collapse, “but you would never expect that to be the issue. I think that this is a catastrophic failure of that building.” A Florida International University professor, Shimon Wdowinski, said the building had slowly been sinking since the 1990s, but it’s unknown if this was a primary cause of the collapse.
What To Do If Someone You Care About Has Gone Missing in a Catastrophic Event or Major Structure Collapse
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters Friday morning, “There were 120 people accounted for from the building and 159 people unaccounted for.” Included in the missing person list are three individuals with Chicago-area connections.
The University of Chicago confirmed a student has gone missing, and according to a Loyola University spokeswoman, a graduate student has been announced missing in the disaster. A 77-year-old Chicago native is also believed to have been involved and unreachable since the collapse.
If you have information about these individuals and friends of Chicago or have relatives who are yet unaccounted for, you can help emergency officials by calling the family reunification hotline at 305-614-1819 and learning more at http://miamidade.gov/emergency. If your family has recently lost a loved one due to a tragic accident, it is always best to contact an attorney to request investigative help and discuss your legal options.
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If you know someone who is a victim of this tragedy, we are here to help. We can begin the process to investigate the matter on their behalf and support you in this time of crisis. Our outstanding results have earned us the reputation as one of the nation’s top personal injury and wrongful death firms, along with the respect of both our adversaries and peers. We are proud that many of our colleagues throughout the country feel confident referring their clients to us for all types of complex accident cases.
Start by making a call to Levin & Perconti’s personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at 312-332-2872 for a free consultation. All initial calls are free, and we work on a contingent fee basis, so there are no fees for our services unless we successfully resolve your case.
