Part of a beachside condominium building collapsed in the early morning hours Thursday. Dozens of people were rescued. Many remain missing.
told SA国际传谋 that as of Friday afternoon, 159 people from the Champlain Towers South were still not accounted for.
鈥淲e for sure do not know that they are actually missing,鈥� said Levine Cava. 鈥淪o these are people that may or may not have been in the building. We just want to be very clear about that, and we're hopeful that many of them were somewhere else having a safe time.鈥�
Levine Cava said emergency workers are still searching for survivors.
鈥淭hey're not only hopeful, they're extremely motivated,鈥� said Levine Cava. 鈥淚n the Haiti earthquake, they found people alive seven days later. You know, we hear these stories everywhere. And you know what? These people were on the scene, they were part of those rescue efforts. This is the best [search and rescue] team in the nation.鈥�
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President Joe Biden approved an for the state of Florida Friday. Levine Cava said the designation helps to provide the financial assistance needed to continue search and rescue efforts and debris removal moving forward.
Pooling Resources
Twelve South Florida organizations have partnered together to raise funds to those impacted by the partial building collapse in Surfside.
鈥檚 president and CEO Rebecca Fishman Lipsey said her organization jumped immediately into action.
鈥淲e realized we needed there to be a clear, safe, unifying way for people to donate money in this moment that could go to the families that are facing an unbelievably devastating tragedy,鈥� Fishman Lipsey said.
Fishman Lipsey said more than $100,000 has been raised so far.
鈥淲e have some funds dedicated just for immediate needs right now on the ground,鈥� Fishman Lipsey said. 鈥淏ut the longer effort is going to be helping people who are affected by this tragedy, who still don't even know where their loved ones are still don't know what the state of the loss is going to be for them. But we're pooling resources [to help them].鈥�
Fishman Lipsey said the different organizations are working on a way to ensure those that need funds can get the money they need.
鈥淲e're setting very simple, clear criteria that will be up on the site for who it is that can use funds and for what the funds can be used," said Fishman Lipsey. 鈥� And we'll make sure that it is translated and simple and un-burdensome, but also that we have the ability to vet the need to make sure that the dollars are going where they need to be going.鈥�
