By Laurel Wawsely| National Public Radio
There are now 159 people unaccounted for in the partial building collapse in Surfside, Fla., Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday — a rise from 99 people a day earlier.
Three more deceased people were found in the rubble, bringing the number of fatalities so far to four.
“We will continue search and rescue because we still have hope that we will find people alive,” Cava said at a press conference Friday.
“That is why we are using our dogs and our sonar and our cameras — everything possible to seek places where there may still be people to be found.”
The number of people who already have been accounted for stands at 120, up from 102.
President Biden approved an emergency declaration on Friday morning authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
The cause of the building’s sudden collapse early Thursday morning remains unclear.
A reunification center has been established near the site of the building where families and friends await any news of their loved ones.
Florida authorities have said part of the 12-story building involving some 55 units split apart and crumbled, and it’s still not clear why. “I can tell you at this time they haven’t found any evidence of foul play, so that is important for people to know,” the mayor told NPR. The police department plans a full investigation.
