911 calls reveal panic and confusion – FOX23 News

Surfside, Florida – Recordings of a 911 call in the moments after a condominium collapse in partly South Florida last month reveals panic, confusion and disbelief.

>> Read more trending news

The Miami-Dade Police Department released some of the 911 calls it received from the Champlain Towers South apartment in Surfside, which were recorded by dispatchers shortly after the 12-story building collapsed at approximately 1:30 a.m. EDT on June 24.

The total number of deaths in the apartment complex is now 97, with 90 people identified and 88 closest relatives notified, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava said at a news conference.

It’s day 21 and our search and recovery efforts continue at Surfside.

The total number of confirmed deaths has now reached 97 – a staggering loss of life. 90 families were identified and 88 families were notified.

Please continue to keep all those who grieve in your hearts and prayers.

– Daniela Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) July 15, 2021

The first call came at 1:16 a.m. EDT, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The newspaper reported that first responders arrived at 8777 Collins Street within moments of the building’s collapse.

Early 911 calls revealed that callers believed they were experiencing an earthquake or explosion, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

In early calls, witnesses described what they thought was a large explosion or earthquake.

“It looked like an earthquake,” one caller said at 1:17 a.m. “The garage, everything – it looked like something underground – everything exploded.”

“Oh my God! The whole building collapsed!” said one caller, according to the Associated Press.

“We have to get out. Hurry up, hurry up. There is a lot of smoke,” another caller said, according to the Associated Press. I can’t see anything. We have to go. I can see nothing but smoke.”

Experts interviewed by the Herald said the “explosion” and “earthquake” indicated a possible cause that could cause the apartment’s pool deck slab to collapse.

“If there had been an explosion — and I don’t know what could have been — but that could have caused that slab to fall off,” Dawn Lyman, a professor of structural engineering at the University of Washington told the newspaper. “This progress could have started [of the building collapse] as we know it.”

NEW: Minutes before the Champlain Towers South Condo partial collapse in the early hours of June 24, people reported an “explosion” in the building’s garage, according to just-released recordings of emergency calls to police and fire rescues. https://t.co/Mgztd5407n

– Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) July 14, 2021

Other experts said loud noises may be different. Greg Batista, an engineer from Davie who specializes in concrete repair projects, told the Herald that the “explosion” could simply be the sound of a concrete slab falling into the parking garage.

“It is more likely than not that when the slab falls, it will of course make a loud bang,” Batista told the newspaper. “Tons of concrete fell at the same time.”

Whatever the cause of the building’s collapse, 911 calls to Miami-Dade police were horrific.

On one call, the dispatcher repeatedly said, “Hello. Madam? Hello?” The only answer before the line broke was: “Come, come, come,” The Sun-Sentinel reported. In another case, according to WPLG, the caller pleads, “Can someone help me out, please? If the building falls, it will come down on my head.”

We think the roof has collapsed in the building. A group of us are in the garage, but we can’t go out, and we’re going back to our apartments, but some of the hallways are blocked, and there’s water flowing through the bottom, through the garage,” WPLG reported another caller saying

The Sun-Sentinel reports that at 1:21 a.m., a caller reported a breakdown in the building’s parking garage. He tried to describe what happened but said he didn’t see anything but smoke. The newspaper reported that people screamed in the background.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that shortly before 1:30 a.m., people inside the portion that remained in the apartment began calling 911.

“I’m in Champlain Towers. Something’s going on here. You should get us out of here,” a caller said as she stood on the balcony. “Half of the building is gone.”

In a 14-minute call, one of the men described his escape and his family, the newspaper reported. For those inside the building, the calls reveal chaos and confusion as people try to find a way out.

#Update 81: We have identified an additional victim who tragically and unexpectedly lost his life in the tragic Surfside Building collapse. Please save his family and loved ones in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/qXp80IKm88

Miami-DadePD (@MiamiDadePD) July 14, 2021

“We can’t find the way out. We’re on the stairs, but we don’t know which stairs we can go down,” a caller said to a dispatcher, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

The Herald reported that it was unclear whether federal investigators looking into the collapse had reviewed the 911 calls. A spokesperson for the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology told the newspaper that the agency had not finished putting together its Surfside disaster team.

The release of the calls came on the same day a judge approved the sale of the oceanfront property, the Associated Press reported. The proceeds are expected to benefit the victims of the avalanche.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hansman has ordered the start of the sale of the South Champlain Towers site. According to court records, proceeds from the sale could exceed $100 million, according to the Associated Press.

© Cox Media Group 2021

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos