Details about the Building Structural Integrity from a 2018 Engineers Report that warned of what was described as major structural damage that required immediate repair. Despite that, cnn has learned that residents were assured that The Tower was in, quote, very good shape. Lets begin our special coverage this hour, cnns Rosa Florez has the latest on the search efforts. Youre not very far away from where all of this is unfolding. Update our viewers. Reporter well, according to the Fire Chief, they are using every single tool in their tool box. Very aggressively. Canines, cameras, Sonar And Weve seen drones over the debris site. Theyre using a Grid Pattern to Search And Rescue, looking for signs of life. The Weather Today has been a little bit better. It was better yesterday which helped the search efforts. All of this as were learning more from a 2018, a structural survey that exposed a lot of the deficiencies in this building. It said, quote, that there were structural major structural damage, that there was exposed and deteriorating rebar, that there was cracked concrete to columns and also that exposed rebar in the Garage Area and also issues with the Pool Deck. One of the main concerns, according to this report, was to the waterproofing of that area which according to the report was beyond its useful life. I want to quote from the report to give you a better idea. This is coat quoting from the report, the waterproofing below the Pool Deck and Entrance Drive and the Planter Waterproofing is beyond its useful life and must be completely removed and replaced. The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas and failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the Concrete Deterioration to expand exponentially. This report is from 2018. Cnn spoke to a engineer who looked at this garage last year, during an inspection and here is what he saw. Take a listen. I saw cracks in the stucco facade, i saw deterioration of the Concrete Balloony and the Garage And Plaza level but those are all things that were accustomed to seeing. There could have been Construction Errors or Design Errors or design defects. There was maintenance or repairs that needed to be performed. All of those things together likely contributed to what happened here. Reporter of course this raises a lot of questions about who knew what and when, wolf. Youve been here for a few days and weve been trying to ask some of those questions to get to the bottom of this. Wolf. Rosa, well get back to you. Thank you very much. Once again were standing by for the News Briefing this hour. Well get the latest information and potentially new numbers on what is going on over here. Meanwhile, the numbers remain the same. 152 people are missing. 152 people are missing at this hour. Their families obviously desperate for answers on their Loved Ones. Some of them actually got to visit the site of the collapsed tower for the first time. Cnns Nick Valencia is covering that part of the story for us. Nick, what are you hearing directly from Family Members this morning. I know youve been speaking to several of them . Reporter for some that visit yesterday was closure, for others a deeper understanding of what the first responders are dealing with and the difficulty at hand here. I just spoke to the mayor who left a briefing with those family and friends of the still unaccounted nor and in one word he described it as just rough. He is expected to give us a briefing in a short time and although he has hope that there may still be survivors among the unaccounted, some of the family and friends are starting to lose it. I spoke to Pablo Rodriguez by phone. He was unable emotionally to join us on camera but he did want to share this message. As the days tick on, it is harder to hold on to any little hope that we do have that well be able to see them again alive. It is been especially difficult this weekend because they were always coming over on the weekend, we would always be together so my son is still asking when we could call them, when are they coming over. When are we going to see them again and we cant tell them yet that hes not going to be able to see them again. Reporter there are hundreds of family and friends still Wai Waiting for word on Loved Ones and all of them are processing it differently and seeing the combination of grief. Some have been angry and taking frustrations out on the the local hooves, being very contentious. And not just felt by family and friends but by the first responders who are coming up empty handed as we enter day five. Thee feel demoralized. They tell me not being able to give satisfactory answers to the family, they are doing as much as they can to help the families out. They word just as much as the Family Members do of any sign of life, as we tick into day five the sign of life is dimming with every passing moment. Wolf. Certainly is. Nick valency, thank you very much. Lets discuss the late breaking developments. Charles burkett is the mayor of surfside. Hes joining us right now. Weve standing by for another briefing from the authorities. Could you update our viewers on the latest information involving the search and the all important Search And Rescue operations. First thing i do every morning is i talk to the guys doing the work. We got weve got at least 240 men and women on the pile right now, hand picking that stuff out. We have got cranes, we have gigantic cranes lifting off huge slabs. The governor has provided infrastructure, the senators have worked to do we dont have, we dont have a resource problem, we have a luck problem. We have to get lucky and start finding people and pulling them out. You still have hope. I absolutely have hope and im expecting some miracles. Were hoping for miracles, with each day i think were at the beginning. I think there was a Bbc Article that i was sent that outlined Survival Rates in Building Collapses. And it outlined that people have survived up to 17 days and maybe more. So, given that it is 17 days survive ability, and it talked about the rain going into the theyve got Water And Plenty of rain unfortunately, or fortunately, depending upon how you look at it. But, you know, im not even going there. Ill tell you where im going. I have two priorities. One is to pull everybody out of that pile that i can. And two is to support the families. Youve been meeting with the families and as you know every day. And some them had a chance to visit the site but many are increasingly frustrated and upset and they expressed that to you. They did. This is the first time i met with them and i asked what they need pd and they said they needed fewer politicians coming to talk to them. They want to hear from the Rescue Teams. And the mayor acted on that request and immediately brought over the Fire Chief who has committed to updating them twice a day now. You said what happened here not far away from where we are is what happens in Third World countries and should never happen here in the United States. And i remember a time when a major building like this simply collapsed for structural damage. What do you make of the reports that three years ago there were deep concerns expressed about the structural viability of this building but then the folks were reassured it is in good shape. That is a giant problem. So what are you going to do about it . What are you could do about it . Ive instructed our staff to pull out every shred of paper that exists related to that building. Number one. And well get to the Sister Building in a second. But because it is a very similar building. Not just similar. Almost built at the same time by the same contractor. But to answer your first question, weve gone out to our archives, the physical boxes, pulled the boxes out and the staff is now handed the boxes off to all be scanned. So every bit of information that we have, were going to put on our website so that you all could have a look at it too. And youll get the information at the same time i do. It must be so frustrating, i mean when i read those reports, about the conclusion three years ago and then the suggestion to the members, the people who lives in the condominium in, that everything was just fine. It is must be frustrating what we know now. I dont know in a frustration addresses the emotion. Youre angry about that. And where do we go from here. I know the priority is saving peoples lives. That is it. And Priority Number two is finding out what happened and the Sister Building champlain towers north which is still in business right now, that there is no real danger there. Youve recommended folks maybe think about leaving there . Right. I recommended that to Senator Scott and Mayor Cava and the consensus was to give them the choice. Were not pushing the Panic Button right now. But there is a serious question there. And you know, when someone ask you if the building is safe and you Cant Answer that question, that is a problem. So if you live there, you wouldnt sleep there overnight. I would not and there are a lot of Condominium Buildings in Bell Harbor and North Miami and all over the place. I think it might be much right now to make that jump. I think there is probable cause to believe we could have a problem at the Sister Building because it is the same design, same developer, and all of the fingerprints are there. But i dont know that that issue exists except for a third building also called champlain and i understand that one was built sometime later. It has a different design and but well of course be looking at that too. Because the fear was, if you read the latest reports, that the Builting Collapse because of the structural damage was at the bottom of the building. Uhhuh. There were maybe some issues involving the ground and then the Parking Garage and the pillars were not necessarily all that stable. Youve seen those report . Well not only have i seen those reports but ive talked to an engineer that we brought on. I called my staff to congratulate them on decision to bring this particular engineer on because hes the guy that oversaw the investigation at the pentagon after the planes struck. Hes the guy that over saw the investigation after the Fiu Bridge fell. So he is imminently qualified to advise us and we have him on board. And i met with Him Yesterday and had a detailed conversation about all of the possible things that could have gone wrong. But having said that, that is all speculation. We need to get in there and get the actual answers. You and i have spoken several times over the past few days. Very briefly, because we have to run, tell us about some of the at least one or two of the personal stories, youve spoken to people who lost Loved Ones including some involved in a rescue. Ill tell you what hit me the hardest. Last night when i did my last Night Pass at the building there was a Little Girl, about 12 years old and sitting by herself and i know this Little Girl because i had met her and she had told me that either her Mother Or Father was in that building and either her Mother Or Father lives in another building a couple of streets down. So she had a mom here and a dad there. And one of them is gone now. And she was sitting there by herself with her Cell Phone reading prayers. All by herself. And that broke my heart. And im going to find that girl today. And im going to tell her that she just needs to come to me for anything she needs. Because that is the face of this problem, of this disaster right here. That Little Girl. Little girl searching for a mom or dad. Yes. At 12 years old and by herself and lost and sitting there on the deck looking at the pile of rubble and imagining her parents, one of her particents in there. That should never happen. Because i think of 152 missing people, right now. Each one has a Son Or Daughter or a mom or a dad or a grand parents. Thousands, thousands that must be connected. Yeah. It just goes out in waves. And you know, again, there is so much here to unpack it is unbelievable but i want to stay focused on my two major objectives which is to get everybody out there and support the family. And that is it. The rest will come naturally. But were going to cooperate and be transparent and surfside will do its part and well find out what happened. Were standing by for the briefing. Do you suspect well get some new numbers . Well see at the briefing. Okay. David burkett, thank you very much. Well obviously stay in close touch. Thank you. The mayor of surfside here. Were going to bring you the News Briefing. That is coming up this hour. As soon as it begins well have live coverage. Also there is more news were following. Up next, 92 going on 62. Ill speak with a family whose beloved grandmother, grandmother is among the missing. Mutual nothing rhymes with liberty mutual. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. When technology is easier to use. Barriers dont stand a chance. Thats why well stop at nothing to deliver our technology asaservice. Jess when you have auto glass damage. Schedule safelites new todrop and go service. Ogy asaservice. Just drop off your keys and go enjoy your day. Well send you text updates and let you know when its ready. Schedule drop and go today. Singers safelite repair, safelite replace. [announcer] dearest smoke shacks, defenders of the dry rub. Thank you for giving your all to a 20pound Hunk of brisket. Whatever you serve, well proudly deliver it. Bike Rattling pleasant Piano Music families are desperately awaiting the news on Loved Ones as Rescue Teams enter day five of searching for survivors in the rubble of the condo Building Collapse. Nine people are confirmed dead. 152 people remain unaccounted for. 152 people remain unaccounted for. One of those missing is 92yearold Hilda Noriega who lived on the Sieveth Floor of The Tower. Her Grandson Mikele is with me now. Thank you so much for joining us. Our hearts go out to you and your loving family. I know your family is here with you as well. First of all, tell us a little bit about your Grand Ma. She lived life or lives life with her whole heart. Shes the most loving person we know. A woman full of faith. She lived for her family. One of the most popular people that i know by far. And she just is so full of life and vibrant. Everybody loved her. Was she lived by herself . Yes. Shes fiercely independent. Even at the age of 92 . Yes. And she was sharp and talked to you guys and loved her kids and her grandkids an all of that. So how did you hear about it . What happened . So my father got a call very early in the morning on im assuming before 2 00 a. M. And i got the call at 2 00 a. M. And we just heard that a part of the building had collapsed, that there was like this loud Explosion Sound and so we just rushed down here. Really not knowing what to expect. And just the scene that is back here. I mean, when i arrived here, i just dont believe it. I just i felt my knees, in awe, i didnt know what to do. We were just in shock. Were still a little bit in shock. Your Grand Ma lives in this building for how long. For 20 years. So had you been there many times, parents were there . I know that you and your dad then went searching and walking around the rubble. At one point, you brought something that i guess miraculously all of a sudden you found . Yeah. Well they wouldnt let us near the rubble. But when we arrived on the scene on The Street, there was debris everywhere. And my father within an hour of being here stepped on something and looked down and it happened to be this Card Right here with my Grandmothers Name on here, hilda. With some hearts. Yeah, with some hearts. She was very much loved. And it was actually this birthday Card Right here that she had gotten just two weeks prior. Sending special birthday wishes. Yes. And so a bunch of her friends had signed it and just all kinds of love and happy birthday. This is very special. That my father of all people had found this. And a lot of this, her friends were wishing her happy birthday in spanish. Yes. I dont know how good your spanish is but to read a line or so to give our viewers a sense. Youre asking the wrong person. I see a lot of happy birthday in spanish and the best i got right now. And i know you have some pictures as well. Yes. You discovered those pictures as well . Yeah. You just found them on The Street . Yeah. Show our viewers those pictures. This one was most shocking to us. So this is my grandmother and that is my grandfather and that is my father right there in the middle and so we remember this picture very vividly in her home. And we found this face down in The Street. I mean, just miraculous. You could believe that out of all of the places, you find a picture like that, and it must have made you and your dad obviously get so emotional. Yeah. You know what, it made us believe that there is purpose in this pain. You know, my grandmother was a believer. She lived for her faith. And in moments like you have to question what the foundations of your life are on and what it made us realize is that god is with us in the pain. It felt like something that he had given us as a gift to say look whether your grandmother is underneath that rubble, my presence is with her and shes okay. And if shes not alive under that rubble, that shes in heaven with jesus and that shes okay. And so that was the sense of comfort that we got from finding this. And you another picture here too. Yes. And you found this one also . Yes. Together with the Birthday Card . Yes. And tell us about this picture. This is my grandparents on vacation. So im not sure where it is because i wasnt there. But, man, to find both of these, again nothing short of a miracle. And as i say, you saw the discovery of these two pictures and this Birthday Card as a gift from god . Yes. And your dad did as well . Oh, yeah. All of us. It was not just an accident, but this was a deliberate sort of sign that god was giving you that whatever yes. I know that we all hope and pray that your grandma is going to be found and found alive. Do you still have hope . Absolutely. This isnt over. This is still very far from over. And were just the Number One thing that were focusing on right now is prayer and moments like this we just realize how much were truly not in control and so were just making our first response not our last resort in this case and just trusting that god has the situation. Were very hopeful. And are you satisfied with the Search And Rescue operations that are underway, because some Family Members, they say theyre frustrated, theyre angry, they want news, they want it right away. Which is understandable. Yeah. I mean, this is a very frustrating process for everybody is involved. But ive seen firsthand what is happening there and i really think that they could not be doing a better job, after seeing our first responders just working day and night. The first day that i was here, i was here for more than 24 hours, and just watching them work on the scene, risking their lives was absolutely amazing. And then on the local level, our mayor has shown tremendous support. Our senators have shown tremendous support. Our govern Ron Desantis walking by has shown. We just saw him walking by. Hes going to be at the News Briefing beginning momentarily. Theyre all getting involved and they all want to do whatever they could and most important priority is finding people alive and i know youre still praying for a miracle and your family is still praying for a miracle. 20 years your grandma lives in this building, tell us a little bit about your visits there . Did you suspect maybe there was a structural problem that it wasnt safe. I didnt. If we did, we wouldnt have had her there at all. So it is very sad that this happened. None of us expected this. Did you go yesterday when they allowed Family Members to visit the site of the Search And Rescue operation. Were among those who went. No. Not yet. No members of your family . No. Do you want to see that. Some Family Members dont want to see it and some will feel comfort in seeing it. Yeah. Well, we are one of the first on the scene. So you actually saw it. Correct. You got up close . Yeah. So what is your message to folks who are watching us right now, what do you want them to know . My message is that our family, we want to stand in the gap for everybody that is hurting right now. We want everybody to hold on to hope. We want to encourage everybody to pray because again this is not far from over. We just believe as a family that miracles are not something that happen in the past but they are something that still happen today and so we just ask that everybody continue to pray for the victims. I mean, ive had so many people get involved in any way that they can. Reaching out from everywhere and there are so many organizations jumping in. So on a practical level, if somebody wants to have a hands on effort, i know my church, the church has been so active in this entire process. I know they could reach out this them and many other organizations. So it is been an incredible effort from everybody. Give our love to your family. Lets Pray And Hope for the best. And i tend to agree with you. It is not a coincidence that you walked around and spotted this Birthday Card and these pictures. There was something going on. Yeah, agree. Michael noriega, good luck and were praying together with you. Thank you very much. And to our viewers, well bring you the News Briefing minutes from now. Not very far from where i am. And remember, lets keep Hilda Noriega and the families of all of the victims of this tragedy in our thoughts. There she is. Well be right back. Another day, another chance. It could be the day you break the sales record, or the day theres appointments nonstop. With Comcast Business, you get the network that can deliver Gig Speeds to the most businesses, and you can get the advanced Cybersecurity Solutions you need with Comcast Business securityedge. Every day in business is a big day. Well keep you ready for whats next. Get started with a great offer and ask how you can add Comcast Business securityedge. Plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a 500 Prepaid Card when you upgrade. Call today. I always had a connection to my grandfather. I always wanted to learn more about him. I discovered some very interesting documents on ancestry. This is the uh Registration Card for the draft for World War two. And this is his signature which blew me away. Being able to. Make my grandfather real. Not just a memory. Is priceless. His legacy. Lives on. Struggling to manage my Type 2 Diabetes is priceless. Was knocking me out of my zone, but lowering my a1c with onceweekly ozempic® helped me get back in it. Oh, oh, oh, ozempic® my zone . Lowering my a1c and losing some weight. Now, back to the show. Ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. Most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. And you may lose weight. Adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. Ozempic® isnt for people with Type 1 Diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Dont share needles or pens, or reuse needles. Dont take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome Type 2, or if allergic to it. Stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a Lump Or Swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. Serious Side Effects may include pancreatitis. Tell your provider about Vision Problems or changes. Taking ozempic® with a Sulfonylurea Or Insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. Side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. Onceweekly ozempic® helped me get in my Type 2 Diabetes zone. Ask your Health Care Provider how it can help you get in yours. Oh, oh, oh, ozempic® you may pay as little as 25 for a 3month prescription. All by yourself. You look a little lost. I cant find my hotel. Oh. Oh this is not normal. No. So . Right . Go with us and find millions of flexible options, all in our app. Expedia. It matters who you travel with. Hello, im fredricka wi whitfield, well get to Wolf Blitzer in a moment. But developing overnight, the United States carried out Air Strikes against iran backed militias on the iraqisyrian border. Barbara starr is live for us at the pentagon with the latest. Reporter well, good day, fredricka. These were F15 And F16 fighter jets striking two sites. One inside of iraq. These are sites that the u. S. Said were being used by iranian backed militias and the big concern is they have been launching Drone Strikes against u. S. Forces inside of iraq and a lot of concern about how to detective these drones and keep u. S. Troops safe. So the u. S. Calling this strike last night, Precision Defensive a deterrent, that was the military goal here. To deter these militias from carrying out these strikes. These iranianbacked militias have been a thorn in the side of the u. S. For sometime inside of iraq and one of the peculiarities is they operate quite freely by all accounts and the iraqi government does not have a lot of control over them. So the u. S. Felt as it watched some of the Drone Strikes by them in recent weeks, that it was time to push back, send a message both to the militias and to iran that the biden administration will take action. Fred. Barbara starr, thank you so much. Also developing today, North Koreans are reportedly heartbroken over the appearance of kim jongun. State media is acknowledging Weight Loss for the first time as speculation grows over the north korean dictators health. Paula hancock is joining us from seoul now. Paula. Reporter well this is a fairly rare acknowledgment talking about the health of the north korean leader, talking about it could usually get you in a lot of trouble in north korea. So what weve heard is on staterun media, it was a program about propaganda, about the leader. And there was one particular man on The Street who was speaking to the camera saying that many people were heartbroken when they saw that the leader had become much thinner saying that it was it brought people to tears. Now we dont know who the individual was but staterun media is highly choreographed and edited and they know they wanted to give a message. Paula hancock, thank you so much. Back to South Florida and Wolf Blitzer. Announcer this is cnn breaking news. Thanks, fred. This News Conference is about to begin. I saw the governor and the mayor walking over right now. They should be at the microphones getting ready to begin this briefing. I anticipate new information now at these briefings. And you see the organizers just getting the microphones ready. But to the right you see the mayor Daniela Levine Cava. You see Congresswoman Debbie Wassermann Schultz and governor desantis. I suspect the governor will probably open up with a statement and then the others will speak. There will be questions from reporters and there are a lot of reporters who have gathered here in surfside for the briefings. We want as much information but so much more importantly the families, the families are all watching. They want this information as well. And so we anticipate they will be getting some more information. And interestingly and importantly, all of the authorities have met with the Family Members. Lets listen in. Well start the Press Conference shortly, please hold your questions to the end and well be addressing everyone. Im calling up to the podium, debbie Wassermann Schultz, please. Thank you very much. Im debbie wasserman schultz, i represent the 23rd District which included Surf Side and this Morning Hi an opportunity to down and talk with national experts from the similar agency that reviews and comes in to decide whether a full investigation will be necessary for structural damage Building Collapses, they were investigators in 9 11. They were investigators in a number of structural incidents around the country. And the Best Of The best when it comes to making sure that they do a complete and thorough overview. Theyre in a preliminary investigation right now to determine whether or not they open up a full investigation. Im not an expert but i would expect that is natural that they would decide to do that. And their role is to Forensically Review as the process going through the rubble, even during the Search And Rescue process to help make sure that everything is preserved which theyre working on the Task Force on debris to do that to make sure that even with the Army Corp of engineers, that is embedded in their team, to Take A Look at some of the issues that have arisen anecdotally but issues like the questions around the structural damage to the pool, that area that has been mentioned and other different points of weakness. They will look through that preliminary investigation and determine whether they open a full investigation and that is triggered when they get a sense of after their preliminary review of whether or not any decisions as a result of that investigation could have longer term implications and recommendations for how we change federal oversight, federal law related to Building Construction and the kind of Code Enforcement decisions that will be made on the ground. So it is really important and very significant that theyre here as early as they have been. Because getting them here embedded with the debris Task Force, making sure that they advise on how evidence should be preserved once Law Enforcement takes over. It will give them a better chance of answering the questions that i know ive been asked over and over, we all have been, okay, how are we going deal with a longterm implications of this. Did this only impact just this building . We have as weve said, structures like this all of the way up the coastline. All the way up the coastline of the United States. And what they will be able to do is their Fact Finding and Finding Agency and longterm investigation of theirs would give us a chance for me as a member of congress to be able to implement and adapt changes in federal law that will help them make sure that when structures are built, that something like this could never happen again. So, ill continue to be engaged with our very seamless local state and national leaders so we could make sure that we continue to have the whole of government approach. Thank you so much and thank you mayor levine cava. Thank you, congresswoman. And governor Ron Desantis. Hi a chance to meet with a number of the urban Search And Rescue teams as i have seen them over the last many days. But theyve been going at it for over 100 hours straight. When there is danger, they run towards it. They shepherded a lot of people to safety initially and they have been every minute of every day since the Building Collapsed trying to identify survivors, their putting themselves at risk in order to do that. Not only because some could have additional collapse and deepseated fires that they have had to fight. It is an incredibly hazardous Environment And Theyve been on the scene nonstop from the very beginning. So i just want to thank them for what theyve done. We obviously have some other folks throughout the state that have been able to also come and supplement. Buzz though teams here in South Florida, theyre the Best Of The best. And we have the israelis come in and Take A Look. And the israelis told some of the families what those miamidade Search And Rescue folks did is exactly what we would have done, exactly what should have been done. So i think it is a testament. Our best in the country here in South Florida, some of the best in the world, israel coming over, they deserve a lot of credit for putting themselves out there and obviously the search continues. And it will not stop. Until there is a resolution. So thank you for that. Were also working in conjunction with fema and in conjunction with both local government and private organizations to bring Relief Services to the Family Members. And that involves Relocation Assistance and it involves things like Mental Health counting. And be want to work with fema and identify all of the families, get them registered facetoface which fema is doing and doing a good job of and being able to provide the services. I have the head of Volunteer Florida on the ground to help coordinate with all of the great volunteer organizations. The outpouring with the charcharity donations have been incredible, millions of dollars and i think there will be millions of more so it is a testament to the community in surveside and the greater Miamidade Area and florida and the United States. Because people from all across the country have been involved in that. So those Recovery Efforts from the family of helping them get back on their feet, helping them cope with trauma, that is going to be ongoing. And this is something that is going to require community involvement, local government, State Government and fema for a while. And were in that for the long haul. The final thing is, of Course Rescue Number one, care for the people that have been displaced number two, but we do obviously need to identify why this happened. I was able to meet with the nist Folks Today and they were created after 9 11. Theyve done a handful of thorough investigations since their creation. 9 11, they did joplin, missouri, from the tornados. Theyre doing Hurricane Maria in puerto rico. They did a rhode Island Nightclub Fire that happened almost 20 years ago. And so they never have done just a straight Building Collapse that wasnt involved with either hazards or terrorism and so this is going to be something that is important. It is something that is going to be very thorough and will not happen in a day or two. This will take a long time. That is the time horizon they work on. And i understand that. What i told Mayor Burkett and surfside and Mayor Cava, because surfside has retained people to look in and then obviously miamidade with the state attorney, theyre doing an investigation. I think those investigations may be able to provide us with some information, maybe a little sooner than in ist and that is post because there are things that need to be done at the state level, we want to get information as soon as possible. And so we pledge that the state, if they need support from engineers, from experts, whatever we need, whether it is surfside, miamidade, were here to help. I think the people of florida want to understand how could this happen. And then what could we do to make sure it doesnt happen again. And so well be working on that for the longterm. But in the interim, thank you for everybody going through that rubble. Tank you for being on the front lines for us. Your work is very, very important and it is been very, very selfless. Thank you governor. And now lieutenant governor. Thank you, good morning. The governor said in spanish. [ speaking foreign language ] were going to get right back to this News Briefing. Were hearing were standing by to also hear from the mayor of miamidade. And shes the one that Daniela Levine Cava who provides new numbers and new information about those who are confirmed dead sadly. Those still missing, unaccounted for. Well bet back to that momentarily. But lets discuss what were hearing right now and all of the new information. Dave downey is joining us. A retired of the Miamidade Fire Rescue team. Also Tom Vanesen who led Search And Rescue after the 9 11 attacks in new york. David, youre here with me. Tell us about the concern so many are feeling based on the report and 2018, three years ago there was major structural problems there. And nothing was really done to try to fix it. And in fact, the people were reassured oh, the building is in great shape. Well obviously there will be tremendous concern. I havent read the report so i dont know the details. But it is important that we look at everything. And its going to be very important to look at what caused this building to collapse and how we can make changes and so this never occurs again. Let me get to toms thoughts on this. You fully appreciate this Search And Rescue operation that is underway, the dangers all of the men and women involved in the Search And Rescue operation themselves are going through. It is a very tenuous situation over there in parts of that building probably still very unstable. Worried about the people that have Fire Rescue and the concerns and fears of all of the families and everything and at same time protect the rescuers that are doing best they can as fast as they can and safely as they can to try to hopefully rescue someone. That is the hope. You still have hope, dave, that i know this is day five right now, and people are hearing that number, 152 people who lived in that building, still live in that building, but that building is basically gone. It is gone. But we are maintaining hope. The rescuers are maintaining hope. Theyre moving at the same pace they did when this first happened. Ive been talking to them firsthand. Ive been watching them because they rotate at 12 00 Noon And Theyve been working for 12 hours and i see them after a couple of hours and were ready to get back in. They want to get to work. They want to bring closure to the families. So theyre doing everything they can. Youve told me you would rather be working with them in the rubble than here, stand by. Lets get back to the News Conference right now. Here we are, day five. And the Search And Rescue work continued throughout the night, you know, 24 7, the tireless work of our first responders. These are truly the men and women who have dedicated their lives to saving lives and this is what they live for. To save theyre out there with every resource they need to ensure that they can search this area. They can sweep the mound with cameras, with dogs, with sonar, and additional heavy machinery thats come in to start to clear away the debris. We are exploring all possible avenues that they identify. And were going to continue and work to exhaust every possible option in our search. I repeat. The Search And Rescue operation continues. As the governor and the congresswoman said, and the lieutenant governor, there is going to be a thorough and full investigation of what led to this tragic event. We are going to get to the bottom of what happened here. Right now our Top Priority is Search And Rescue and find the people. And you can see we have a truly unprecedented Mobilization Effort underway with the full resources of our local, state, and federal government on hand already for days, already, and people coming in from around the state and around the world to assist us right here in surfside. Im so grateful to all the leaders and all the teams and social those up on the mound and putting their own lives at risk to find others. This morning we did recover another body. That brings the count to 10. The total number of those accounted for is now 135. And the total unaccounted, 151. Our detectives are working in realtime right now to audit this list. Were receiving multiple calls, still, from Family Members about the same Loved Ones and the information is coming from various sources. I want to stress as we have from the beginning, these numbers are very fluid, and they will continue to change. I want to provide you as we have done and will do, the best updates as soon as we have them. Remembering that we told the families that are waiting that they will be the first to hear and they were the first to hear about this tenth victim that we uncovered today. So we will continue to support all of the families and Loved Ones who are affected with their Mental Health, social service, physical needs. They have professionals on site, a full gamut in the family assistance center. The miami foundation, one of those that launched the Donation Site is also on site to assist these families with the Cash Assistance they need to get on with their lives as well. And we know that as was said, millions have been collected across the different Donation Sites in fact its incredible. Please, continue to pray for the families. Continue to pray for the Search And Rescue team. The best in the world. We have hundreds on backup. We have the people we need. We are continuing without stop. Thank you and god bless. Were going to get back to the News Conference momentarily. We got the new numbers and the mayor usually releases the new numbers. Ten confirmed dead. One additional body recovered. 151 people still are unaccounted for. With dave downy, the former chief, Miami Dade Fire and rescue, it seems to be taking a long, long time. A few days ago one confirmed dead. Then four, then five, then nine. Now ten. What does it mean that its taking so long to recover bodies . Its the process. We have to be methodical and deliberate. Theyre removing large pieces of rubble surgically. We dont want to disrupt any important of void spaces that could have survivors. Were not going to go in there with heavy machinery and rip everything out. It takes time to delayer every layer of the building. Youve seen people up there with buckets. Sometimes the only way to move big pieces of concrete is make it little pieces of concrete. Over the last 24 hours im amazed at how much Rubble Weve been able to remove, and theyre going to continue to do that, peeling that away, but it takes time. There were 152 people unaccounted for and now 151 people unaccounted for. Sadly, one more person has been confirmed dead. Tom, you led the Search And Rescue operation during and after i mean, immediately after the 9 11 attacks in new york. Describe the similarities potentially the differences. What was going on then in the Search And Rescue operation as opposed to what youre seeing here in surfside, right now. Its exactly the same process. Its just ours was so much greater. You had 210 Story Buildings with an enormous amount of weight, and the fire in our buildings had Disend Grated everything almost vaporized all the material. So thats the big difference, but all the other things that the firefighters and Rescue Workers have to be concerned about is very similar. One thing i think might be good news, we had an awful lot of foreign nationals that we were looking for for a long time after september 11th. And we found eventually they werent in any of the building. Im hoping thats the same case down here, that there are a lot of people out of that 150 that werent in the buildings, and thats why were not finding larger numbers of fatal fatalities. Yeah. And maybe they were just back home in various countries in South America or whatever, and they havent gotten in touch with authorities. Although, in this day and age, tom, Knowing Social Media and all the 20 years ago it was a different situation. You would assume that if someone had lived in that Building And Wasnt there, they would be in touch with somebody and assure them, you know what, im fine. You would assume that, but i think theres a lot of people who dont want people to know where they are. How long does this continue to be a Search And Rescue hold that. Lets go back to the News Conference. Good afternoon. You dont get a break. Hurricanes, pandemics, you nape it. This governor has been boots on the ground, leading since day one. Mayor, your staff amazing. The folks at Miami Dade county, the resilience. There is an international issue as weve seen support from the federal, international community. Im the states Chief Financial Officer and a citizen of The State Of Florida. Proud to be here with the urban Search And Rescue men and women assigned here. This is the largest ever deployment of Task Force resources in the history of The State Of Florida thats not a hurricane. The same number of men and women that are on the ground right now the same as was deployed to hurricane michael, a 12county storm event. Theyre working around the clock, 1 hours at a time. Midnight to noon, noon to midnight. They come from tallahassee, orlando, tampa. They come from israel. They come from moexico. They come and leaver that families to come and work around the clock. The reward is the life they save. Theyre making the efforts as we speak right now, and they dont stop. They hardly rest. They come up for about 45 minutes, check their Pulse And O 2 and go back to work. Thats what they do. They work to save lives. I have the honor to be here with them, and so proud of the efforts taking place here. I cant say enough for the leadership of Kevin Guthrie and Florida Department of emergency management. Fema, theyve provided as they know the magnitude of this event. Weve created a City Inside of a city. Several blocks. We appreciate the patience the community has had as we do the most amazing efforts in the history of The State Of Florida to save the lives at risk because of this terrible tragedy. Governor, thank you for your leadership. Mayor. Good morning, everyone. Kevin guthrie. Yesterday at about 4 15 yesterday afternoon, we asked for the assistance of a federal incident support team, specifically related to urban Search And Rescue. Fema was in the room at the same time. The former communication of the request happened in minutes. That request was set up and mobilized. And we have followed up with the necessary paperwork. Again, i think its important for everyone to understand that as soon as the mayor, chief, director need a resource, we are sitting together, were working together underneath the leadership of the governor, lieutenant governor, the mayor and others to make sure that happens instantly. Again, as the congresswoman said, theres no daylight between either one of us. Thats important for everyone to know. I will say we are mobilizing today a Florida Dhs bus to help people get i. D. Cards for those displaced. They need i. D. Cards, drivers licenses and things of that nature. Those will be that bus been deployed today. Should be on site tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you. Now the surfside mayor. I just have a hand full of things i want to share with you. First was this morning i was at the site, and i observed hundreds of Search And Rescue people actively using their hands, digging out and doing what theyre here to do. I also observed the heavy equipment that the governor and the federal government have sent down to us in action lifting off huge slabs and moving them away from the pile. Secondly, i visited with the families again this morning as did everybody probably standing here. And we heard from the israeli team that is here, and one of the things i wanted to note was that the israeli commander tol