The Tribune

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is monitoring the tragedy in Surfside, Florida where at least nine people are dead and more than 100 people are unaccounted for after a multi-story condo building partially collapsed.

The collapse occurred in Florida’s Miami-Dade County early Thursday morning.

The ministry said on Saturday that it has made contact with the Bahamas’ Consul General in Miami Linda Mackey, who has confirmed that to date, the Consulate General has not been made aware of any Bahamian nationals involved in the devastation.

Ms Mackey said she and fellow members of the Caribbean Consular Corps in Miami, Florida volunteered on Friday with the Global Empowerment Mission to serve those affected by the collapse of the Champlain Towers South.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the government and people of the United States of America and in particular this quiet beach town in Florida at this difficult time,” a statement from the ministry said.

“The ministry will continue to monitor the situation and report to the Bahamian public if there are new developments.”

Rescue crews in Florida have been sifting through the rubble since Thursday, looking for survivors.

According to American news outlets, a 2018 structural report showed that the building had some “cracking”.

“The waterproofing below the pool deck and entrance drive was failing and causing ‘major structural damage,’ according to the report by Frank Morabito of Morabito Consultants,” CNN reported.