Concrete Concerns Lead to Miami Building's Evacuation

Deterioration sparked worry three weeks after nearby condo building's collapse
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 14, 2021 2:13 PM CDT
Miami Beach Building Empty Due to Concrete Concerns
The Devon apartment building is shown Wednesday in Miami Beach, Fla.   (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Residents of an 82-year-old, two-story apartment building in Miami Beach have been ordered to evacuate because of concrete deterioration nearly three weeks after the deadly collapse of Champlain Towers South in nearby Surfside. The city of Miami Beach ordered the evacuation of Devon Apartments on Monday and is giving residents until next Monday to leave the building, city spokeswoman Melissa Berthier said in an email Wednesday, per the AP. The apartment building is about 2 miles from where Champlain Towers South collapsed almost three weeks ago, killing at least 95 people. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the 12-story oceanfront tower to fall. The building was in the midst of its 40-year recertification, and documents show multiple problems with concrete deterioration had been reported.

After the collapse, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava ordered an audit of all buildings over 40 years old. A condominium in nearby North Miami Beach was also ordered evacuated over safety concerns shortly after that audit started. During a news conference Tuesday, Levine Cava said the number of people considered missing in the collapse has dwindled as authorities work to identify everyone connected to the building. The mayor said 14 people remain unaccounted for, which includes 10 victims whose bodies have been recovered but not yet identified—leaving potentially four more victims to be found. "It’s a scientific, methodical process to identify human remains. As we’ve said, this work is becoming more difficult with the passage of time," Levine Cava said.

(More Surfside stories.)

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