After two days collapsing Of a seaside Florida building, officials said they would help evacuate residents of a similar tower nearby as they examine it for structural defects that could indicate a similar risk.
“I should be able to say it’s safe, and I just can’t,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told Reuters. “In an abundance of caution, it’s probably wise to let people move for a couple of weeks while we investigate.”
The effort underscored the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the sudden collapse of the 12-story Champlain Tower South, which killed five people and left 156 missing in an upscale beach community north of Miami.
The 40-year-old building was undergoing repairs after a 2018 review found “major structural damage”.
The condominium was built the same year by the same developer as Champlain Tower North, a similar tower that stands nearby.
Burkett said he had no information to indicate that the north tower had similar structural flaws. But he said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would relocate residents for several weeks to allow a thorough review of the property.
Evacuation is not mandatory, he said, but many residents are eager to leave.
“There are people who don’t want to sleep in a building that could collapse at any moment,” he said. “It’s very unlikely to happen, but you know what? I don’t think people want to sleep in a building that’s very unlikely to collapse.”
Members of the condominium board did not respond to requests for comment. A resident of the building who reached the phone declined to comment.
By noon, the building appeared to be at least partially filled. A man stood on the balcony of the building looking out to the beach, where police had put up plastic barriers to keep spectators away.
Other area residents said they were shocked by the collapse but did not feel personally at risk. “I think it was an isolated incident,” said Nicolas Benigni, who lives in a nearby 25-year-old tower.