Tragedy in Florida: People put out candles and flowers, but rescuers continue to search for survivors

“In our experience, at least for the first 72 hours, there’s a good chance people could still be there,” Denny Cardeso, a fire department spokesman, told CBS.

The building, built 40 years ago, partially collapsed on Thursday night, and so far it has been confirmed that four people have died. Dozens were rescued from the ruins, but the fate of another 159 people is still unknown, so it is possible that the number of victims may turn out to be much higher.

–

Workers dig a trench to try to control the fire, but search engines use both heavy machinery and specially trained dogs. People light candles next to the ruins, lay flowers and photos of the missing. The smell of burning rubber and plastic can be felt in the hot air.

The cause of the accident is still unclear, but the authorities have released a report issued by construction consultancy Morabito in 2018, which did not say the building could collapse, but acknowledged that it needed repairs to maintain “structural integrity”.

Inspectors had warned of significant problems found in the concrete block under the pool on the ground floor, as well as cracking of the concrete in the underground car park.

–

“If the waterproofing is not replaced in the near future, the degree of concrete damage will expand exponentially,” the report said. It assumes that the problems are largely due to the corrosive effects of Florida’s salty air over many years.

The building was to undergo a new safety certification, so construction work was carried out on its roof.

State Governor Ron Desantis told reporters on Saturday that the authorities allow the evacuation of an adjacent building that was built at about the same time, but that there is no immediate danger to it yet.

The authorities have ordered the safety of all buildings built around that time to be inspected.

A study conducted in the mid-1990s under the auspices of Florida International University found signs of land subsidence at the site.