By: Nina Huang
Did you ever experience an earthquake? Have you seen videos of 9/11/2001 that show the World Trade Towers collapsing in New York City? Well, people living in the Champlain South Tower in Miami, Florida did not experience an earthquake or a terrorist attack, but they did face a terrifying (and unexpected) collapse. One year ago, the south side of a condominium tower in the Surfside section of Miami crumpled to the ground, leaving a devastating outcome to the community. The collapse resulted in 98 people losing their lives. Google states, “Fifty-five of the building’s 136 units were destroyed, with many residents inside still in their beds. The collapse happened in 11 seconds, leaving a cloud of gray dust billowing over a massive pile of concrete, steel and other debris.”
Florida Judge Decides to Take Action
A Florida judge decided to take action and help these unfortunate people. He settled a $1.2 billion settlement for the victims, and hoped things will get better for the survivors. A survivor named Eileen Rosenberg claimed to be very grateful that Judge Hanzman put himself in their shoes, rather than deciding something random. Fortunately, the tower is being rebuilt and Judge Hanzman says that the property is for sale for $120 million. The property is currently owned by Hussain Sajwani.
Cause of the Collapse
According to Bloomberg.com, the cause of the collapse was a construction site next door to the tower. Bloomberg states, “The catastrophic structural failure that led to the collapse of the Champlain Towers condominium outside Miami in June was linked to construction of a luxury high-rise development next door, according to a lawsuit filed by families of people killed in the disaster. Developers of the Renzo Piano-designed Eighty Seven Park were improperly allowed to build higher and larger than originally entitled, according to the suit filed Tuesday in Miami-Dade County circuit court. The project site was sloped so run-off poured into Champlain Towers and undermined the building’s structural integrity, which was also damaged by excavation and pile-driving, the suit claims.”