An Invernessian in America: It is impossible to fathom how the Miami building collapse could happen
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We read about events of devastating magnitude daily. When they’re close to home, they stop you in your tracks, writes Diane Knox.
Last week’s building collapse in Miami is one of them. It’s that gut-wrenching feeling of heartache, sadness and tragedy.
It’s being called the deadliest accidental building collapse in American history, and it’s one of the most harrowing sights I’ve ever seen on video. I saw it pop up on Instagram, and had no idea what I was watching; it’s impossible to fathom how something like that can occur.
These completely innocent, unsuspecting people, the majority of whom were sound asleep in a place they felt safe and secure, and in one split second everything changes. Families torn apart and surviving relatives feeling utterly helpless as they watch the rescue teams trawl their way through pulverised concrete and steel.
At the start of the week, with more than150 people still missing, officials announced they still held on to hope of finding survivors among the rubble. But it would take a miracle. Rescue teams listening for noises coming from the ruins, trying to identify any as being human.
The mayor described how the building had “pancaked”. That word has stuck with me and makes me shudder.
The 12-storey condo building tower, just north of Miami beach, had remained upright for four decades before it fell to the ground last Thursday, destroying more than 55 of the 136 apartments.
Apparently, documents had been submitted to officials which showed warnings of “major structural damage” and the potential for “exponential damage”, dating back to 2018. Did they really know for THREE years that this building was at risk of large-scale deterioration, and life was being put at incomprehensible risk?
It just adds to the heartbreak of families searching for some kind of answer or explanation as to why – or HOW – this tragedy occurred. People are waiting for news of their loved ones’ bodies being found. You can’t put the devastation into words.
It’s hauntingly reminiscent of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. I know it’s not the same, but it was another terrible tragedy. In the aftermath, local governments all over the UK have investigated tower blocks to identify others with a similar type of cladding, and efforts to replace the cladding are ongoing.
What makes the Miami collapse even more terrifying is the sheer number of high-rise complexes in this highly populated part of south Florida – not only people who reside in the Miami area, which is attractive for many, many reasons, but it’s obviously a hugely popular holiday destination.
The abundance of tall residential buildings, which make up the Miami skyline, are also battered by ever-worsening hurricane winds, storm surges and sea salt from the Atlantic Ocean. But, like Grenfell, it’s vital that answers are found sooner rather than later, and how this may impact similar buildings in Miami – and the rest of the world.
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