>> RIGHT NOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUR. TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED IN
SURFSIDE FLORIDA.
8777 COLLINS AVENUE WHERE WE
HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE MISSING AT THIS HOUR AND
ONE PERSON HAS DIED SO FAR.
BUT AT LEAST MORE THAN 50
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECOVERED AND
THEY HAVE SURVIVED THAT
COLLAPSE.
>> WE HAVE NEW INFORMATION WE
WANT TO GET TO AMY VETERRA IN
SURFSIDE NEAR THE SCENE.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US.
WHAT UPDATES DO YOU HAVE?
>> YOU BRING OUT THAT NEW
INFORMATION.
WE’RE JUST GETTING THAT THOSE
DETAILS FROM COLLEAGUE WHO
LEARNED FROM MIAMI-DADE POLICE
AS DIRECTOR THAT THEY ARE
SAYING 53 PEOPLE NOW ACCOUNTED
FOR.
BUT 99 PEOPLE STILL REMAIN
UNACCOUNTED FOR.
MISSING AT THIS HOUR.
THOSE ARE THE LATEST OFFICIAL
NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO GET, OF COURSE.
THOSE SEARCH-AND-RESCUE
EFFORTS ARE STILL UNDER WAY.
AT THAT BUILDING.
BEHIND ME.
AND SHORT TIME AGO WE SPOKE TO
THE STATE FIRE MARSHALL JIMMY
PETRONISY.
HIS OFFICE OVERSEES THE URBAN
SEARCH-AND-RESCUE TEAMS THE
BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
THESE ARE THE TEAMS WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT THE GO INTO
BUILDINGS.
LIKE THIS, THIS TYPE OF
DEVASTATION AND DEBRIS.
AND TRY TO REACH ANYONE WHO
MAY BE TRAPPED INSIDE.
HE TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
THE SO-CALLED PANCAKE EFFECT
THAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH THE
BUILDING WHERE EACH LEVEL
COLLAPSED.
WHAT CREWS ARE TRYING TO DO IN
CASES LIKE THIS IS TO JUST
FIND A POCKET.
FIND ANY AIR WHERE THEY CAN
CREATE SPACE TO GET IN.
THEY GO IN AND TEAMS OF TEN
AND 12 AT THE TIME.
HE SAID THIS AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE IS DIFFICULT,
EXHAUSTING WORK.
AND THEN A NEW CREW WILL GO
IN.
THEY SPEND A FEW MINUTES AT
THE TIME BEFORE THEY ROTATE IN
A FRESH TEAM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
RESOURCES ARE THOSE DOGS WHO
ARE HELPING THEM SEARCH
THROUGH THE RUBBLE.
HE SPOKE ABOUT THAT AND OTHER
CHALLENGES HERE TODAY.
>> THERE’S GIFTS THAT DOGS
RECEIVE FROM GOD THAT WE WILL
NEVER HAVE.
IT’S AN AMAZING HOW MUCH OF
ROLE THEY PLAY IN THE LIVE
SAVING OF MEN AND WOMEN IN
DISASTERS LIKE THIS.
THE MEN AND WOMEN DOING THIS.
THEY WORK ON CHRISTMAS.
THEY WORK ON THANKSGIVING.
THEY WORK ON HOLIDAY.
THEY WORK 1:30 IN THE MORNING
AND SHOW UP AND IF YOU WALK
AND YOU TALK TO THEM.
THEY JUST EVERY DAY NORMAL
GOOD MEN AND WOMEN.
THIS IS JUST A PROFESSION THEY
CHOSE.
AND THANKS GOD THEY DO.
>> AND YOU HEARD HIM SPEAKING
THERE ABOUT THE PEOPLE HERE HE
SAID FIRST BOOTS ON THE
GROUND.
THIS SITUATION THEY HAVE DEALT
WITH IN THE PAST.
STRUCTURE COLLAPSE.
THE MOST QUALIFIED PEOPLE OUT
HERE TRYING TO DO THIS
DIFFICULT WORK.
AND WE ALSO HEARD FROM
GOVERNOR TODAY PRAISING FIRST
RESPONDERS FOR THEIR EFFORTS
AND TALKING ABOUT MOVING
FORWARD THE NEXT PRIORITY
WHICH IS OF COURSE TO FIND
HOUSING FIND A PLACE FOR ALL
OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
UNROOTED FROM THEIR HOMES AND
TRYING TO INSTILL HOPE WHICH
THEY ARE STILL LOOKING FOR
PEOPLE THIS IS NOT OVER.
REALLY SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS FROM HERE.
LET’S LISTEN TO WHAT THE
GOVERNOR HAS TO SAY.
THE FIRST RESPONDER,
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY WERE ON THE
SCENE BEFORE WE KNEW WHETHER
THERE WOULD BE MORE COLLAPSE.
WE DIDN’T KNOW WHETHER THE
BUILDING HAD ANY STRUCTURAL
INTEGRITY AND THEY WERE
SHEPHERDING PEOPLE TO SAFETY.
THEY ABSOLUTELY SAVED PEOPLE’S
LIVE.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THEY HAVE
DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH MAYOR
CAVA AND HER TEAM AS WELL AS
THE MAYOR OF SURFSIDE.
AND WE JUST TOURED AROUND THE
COMPLEX TO BE ABLE TO SEE IN
THE "T" V -- TV DOESN’T DO
IT JUSTICE.
>> SO MANY PEOPLE STILL
UNACCOUNTED FOR ACCORDING TO
MIAMI-DADE POLICE.
99 PEOPLE STILL MISSING
ACCORDING TO THEIR LATEST
COUNT.
AND THE GOVERNOR AND MAYOR
SPYING ABOUT PARTNERING UP
WITH RED CROSS FINDING MACE TO
PUT THE MANY WHO HAVE BEEN
EVACUATED.
THOSE WHON DISPLACED BY THE
COLLAPSE.
ALSO SAYING THEY ARE SETTING
UP HOTELS SHORT-TERM FOR
PEOPLE TO GO AND WORKING RIGHT
NOW ON LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION
SPEAKING OF NEXT STEP.
THE BIG QUESTION EVERYONE WANT
TO KNOW SO LITTLE INFORMATION
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN.
SEEMINGLY OUT OF THE BLUE.
THE GOVERNOR MENTIONING
ENGINEERS WILL BE GETTING ON
SCENE.
THAT’S NOT THE FOCUS RIGHT
NOW.
THE FOCUS ON TRYING TO GET
ACCESS TO THAT DEBRIS AND
LOCATE ANYONE TRAPPED
MISDEMEANOR.
BUT, OF COURSE, THAT
INVESTIGATION ON WHAT
HAPPENED.
THOSE NEXT STEPS AND FINDING
THOSE ANSWERS WHICH WILL BE SO
IMPORTANT.
THAT’S WHAT IS COMING NEXT.
>> AMY, YOUR INTERVIEW WAS SO
FASCINATING.
HE WALKED US THROUGH THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
HE TALKED ABOUT TIME BEING AN
ISSUE.
OBVIOUSLY, FOR THE FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO ARE MISSING LOVED
ONE WHO MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE
RUBBLE THERE.
TIME IS A MAJOR ISSUE.
THAT’S WHAT THEY HOLD ON TO.
THE HOPE THEY HOLD ON THAT
THEY GET TO THEM IN TIME.
BUT HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE
WEATHER BEING AN ISSUE AS
WELL.
CAN YOU EXPOUND ON THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
HE SAID THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
STOP WORKING.
BUT SOME OF THE BIG FACTORS
THEY ARE FACING HERE.
THE RAIN DOESN’T MAKE ANYTHING
EASIER.
NIGHTFUL WILL BE ANOTHER
CHALLENGE.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT CONDITIONS TO SEE IN
THAT DEBRIS.
IT’S DARK.
CROWDED AND WHEN THE SUN GOES
DOWN THEY JUST HAVE ONE MORE
THING WORKING AGAIN THEM.
WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO HOW
THEY WILL PROCEED AT THAT TIME
REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
HE SAID IN THE INTERVIEW SHORT
TIME AGO THE WORK WILL NOT
STOP.
BUT, OF COURSE, THOSE ARE
CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE
FACING AND THEY WANT TO MAKE
AS MUCH PROGRESS AS THEY CAN
DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS FOR
NOW.
THANKFULLY THE RAIN SUBSIDED A
BIT.
THAT CAN HELP THEIR EFFORTS
BUT AS YOU HEARD HIM SAY, THEY
ARE GOING STEP-BY-STEP TRYING
TO FIND POCKETS OF SPACE IN
THIS BUILDING AND THE PRIMARY
CONCERN IS NOT TO DISRUPT WHAT
THEY ARE DOING.
DISRUPTING ONE SPACE COULD
CAUSE DEBRIS TO SHIFT AND
CAUSE DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR
ANYONE TRAPPED IN THERE.
THIS IS PAINSTAKING EXHAUSTING
WORK.
AS YOU KNOW EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT BASED ON WHAT THEY
MAY BE FINDING IN THAT
STRUCTURAL.
>> THAT BUILDING NOT STABLE.
WE HEARD FROM THE MIAMI POLICE
DIRECTOR.
WE WANT YOU TO TAKE A LISTEN.
>> 35 AND COUNTING FOR.
99 UNACCOUNTED FOR RIGHT NOW.
>> THE CONDITIONS -- I DON’T
HAVE INFORMATION.
>> FIRE RESCUE IN THERE WITH
SEARCH TIME WITH THEIR DOGS.
IT’S VERY DANGEROUS SITE.
I’M NOT A FIRE MAN.
IT’S VERY UNSTABLE.
VERY DANGEROUS.
AND THOSE FIREMEN ARE BRAVE TO
GO IN THAT AND THEY ARE DOING
EVERYTHING THEY CAN.
THEY ARE IN SEARCH-AND-RESCUE
MODE.
THEY WILL BE IN THAT MODE FOR
A WHILE.
>> ARE THEY HEARING ANY
VOICES?
DO THEY ANY ANY SOUNDS?
>> I’M NOT SURE.
I’M NOT DOING THAT POINT.
THEY ARE IN THERE.
THEY HAVE DOGS.
EQUIPMENT COMING.
THEY WILL WORK THROUGH THE
NIGHT.
>> WHEN YOU SAY 53 ACCOUNTED
FOR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT
FOLKS THAT PASSED AWAY.
>> FOLKS THAT ARE EITHER
ESCAPED FROM THE BUILDING OR
WERE NOT THERE.
BUT THIS IS VERY EARLY RIGHT
NOW.
I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THE
NUMBERS CAN CHANGE.
THAT’S WHY I DON’T WANT TO SAY
FALSE EXPECTATIONS.
I WILL GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE
RIGHT NOW.
TO CALM THE COMMUNITY DOWN.
THEY ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW.
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
>> ONE MORE.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE SOUND
UPSET.
IT’S BEEN 12 HOURS.
>> I DON’T BLAME THEM TO BE
UPSET.
IT’S A TRAGIC SITUATION.
WE’RE WORKING HARD.
>> WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL
THEM IN TERMS OF NAME.
I CAN’T TELL THEM NAMES.
I WANT TO VERIFY THAT.
WE CAN’T HAVE MISINFORMATION
OUT THERE.
>> I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY
PEOPLE DISAPPEARED.
WE HAVE 99 PEOPLE UNACCOUNTED
FOR.
THAT COULD MEAN ANYTHING RIGHT
NOW.
>> THAT WAS POLICE DIRECTOR
FREDDIE RAMIREZ GOING OVER THE
NUMBER.
53 ACCOUNTED FOR.
99 UNACCOUNTED.
AND AS YOU HEARD HIM SAY THE
COMMUNITY IS HURTING SO WE CAN
UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND
THE ANGER COMING FROM SOME OF
THE RESIDENT.
BUT HE SAID THIS -- THEY ARE
IN SEARCH-AND-RESCUE MODE.
THEY ARE OUT THERE.
THEY ARE WITH DOGS.
DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO
FIND ANYONE WHO IS MISSING.
>> THAT CLOUD OF GRAY SMOKE
YOU LOOK AT FROM LIVE PICTURE
OF THE SOUTH TOWER OF
CHAMPLAIN TOWERS THAT CAME
DOWN EARLIER THIS MORNING AT
1:30 THIS MORNING.
THAT’S FROM A SMALL FIRE.
THAT FIRE CREWS HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON FOR THE PAST HOUR.
MORE COMING UP ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THIS BREAK.
WE’RE BACK IN A MOMENT.