Surfside building collapse: Who did the bunk beds belong to? Truth behind the horrifying pics
Rescue teams have been desperately trying to clear the rubble of the Miami building collapse in Surfside, Florida, and save the people under it, but there hasn't been much progress. Nearly 150 people still remain missing after the collapse a week ago on June 24, 2021, Of late, a haunting image of a child's bunk bed seen hanging from the collapsed Miami condo has been troubling any who see the photo. But if the latest reports are anything to go by, that mystery is solved.
The photograph, in which one could see a bunk bed, took the internet by shock and left people wondering if a child had been sleeping in the room when the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Florida.
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Now as per the latest reports, it doesn't look like the bed seen in the pictures of the collapsed Miami building was occupied by a child as it belonged to New York City native Linda March’s home. According to the Miami Herald, March used this bedroom as a home office — that explains the black desk chair that can be seen close to the bunk bed, March’s best friend Rochelle Laufer told the publication.
Laufer also described the place in which her best friend used to live in as she reflected on the photos that March had sent to her — "beautiful, oceanfront with beautiful views". The 58-year-old New Yorker, who moved to Florida alone for a “fresh start,” is still missing. March’s friend says that she didn't have many complaints from the home — just the outside noise. "The one thing she complained about was the construction. It started in the morning and kept going all day," Laufer told the publication.
When the tragedy occurred on June 24, 2021, renovations and repairs were underway leading up to the building’s 40-year certification. The group behind the construction of Eighty Seven Park reportedly released a statement saying they are confident the construction "did not cause or contribute to the collapse that took place in Surfside."
In 2018, a report found there were several issues with the Champlain Towers South condo. However, a former building official told the residents the building was “in very good shape.”
On April 9, the condo’s board also sent a letter to residents warning that the damage found in 2018 had been “accelerating” over the years - this was just 75 days before the condo collapsed. In this letter, the president of the condo association's board of directors Jean Wodnicki provided a summary of the major repairs needed for the building. He noted that should they fail to fix the problems in the "near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially."
The residents of the building had reportedly voted to pay for the repairs, even though all that would cost an estimated $16.2 million. As of Wednesday, June 30, 2021, the death toll was raised to 16 people in addition to findings of other human remains according to Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah.
Rescue teams have been working 12-hour shifts looking for survivors and victims under the rubble. "They are digging as if there are survivors there. They are still remaining hopeful, but it is indeed a terrible tragedy all around," Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez told the BBC.