REUTERS/Maria Alejandra Cardona
- Residents of the sister building of the partially collapsed Florida condo, Champlain Towers South, can voluntarily evacuate.
- "Anyone who chooses to leave can be supported," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
- A local building inspector determined that there's no "immediate causes of concern," Cava added.
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Residents who want to evacuate the sister building of the condominium in Surfside, Florida, that partially collapsed last week can do so with support, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
"So just the building that is the sister building to the one that came down, that is the one that Surfside has authorized for voluntary evacuation," Cava said in an interview on "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning about people who reside in the Champlain Towers North.
"And yes, anyone who chooses to leave can be supported. It's also true that the town building inspector went and did not find any immediate causes of concern," Cava continued.
At least five people are confirmed dead, and about 156 people are still unaccounted for after the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South. Following multiple reports that revealed that the 12-story condo built-in 1981 had "major structural damage," concerns were raised about its sister building, as local news reported.
"Champlain Towers North is basically the same building as Champlain Towers South. It was built about the same time, it was built by the same developer, it was probably built with the same plans, it was probably built with the same materials," Surfside Mayor Gary Burkett said, CBS Miami reported. "Given that we cannot determine what made Champlain South fall down it's understandable that they're nervous."
President Joe Biden greenlit an emergency declaration for Florida which "authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, to coordinate all disaster relief efforts" and provide resources.
"Not only the state of Florida has been here in force, but the president, on the morning of the disaster, called to offer all possible assistance, and by the end of that day, we had FEMA approval," Cava added during the interview. "So, we're working super hard to get everything we need, and we have not lacked any support as well as support from around the world."
At a press conference on Saturday, Cava announced she is directing an audit "of all of the buildings at the 40-year point and beyond" and "make sure that every building has completed their re-certification process."