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Reuters
Reuters
(Reuters) – A consultant had warned three years before the deadly collapse of a South Florida condominium building that there was evidence of “major structural damage” to the concrete slab below the pool deck and abundant cracking and crumbling in the underground parking garage, the New York Times reported early on Saturday. A large section of the 12-story building in the Miami suburb of Surfside collapsed suddenly in the early hours of Thursday as residents slept, in a disaster whose cause is not yet known. Four people have been confirmed killed and 159 are still unaccounted for, with search-…
The Jewish Agency for Israel issued this comment:
In the wake of the tragic Surfside, FL building collapse last week, Jewish Agency Chairman and President-elect of Israel, Isaac Herzog, sent a heartfelt letter to Greater Miami Jewish Federation President and CEO Jacob Solomon, offering condolences and aid to the local Jewish community.
“On behalf of The Jewish Agency for Israel, I wish to express my wholehearted support for you and the Miami Jewish community following the horrific tragedy at Champlain Towers South. We share your pain and are thinking of you during this difficult time,” Herzog wrote.
Herzog applauded the efforts of newly inaugurated Minister of Diaspora Affairs Nachman Shai who is already on the ground to support the victims and their families and offered the organization’s support for his work in Miami: “We welcome and support the emergency visit of Minister Nachman Shai to Miami and to your Federation, and we will support his initiatives.”
“The Jewish Agency has always worked to ensure the safety and security of our Jewish sisters and brothers whenever and wherever they may be. As you begin to assess needs, I would like to offer our assistance in the days and weeks to come. Our global presence and infrastructure allow us to swiftly respond to a tragedy like this,” he said.
With emissaries (shlichim) based all over the world, The Jewish Agency prides itself on being a global support network for the Jewish people and is uniquely positioned to assist in harrowing and life-threatening situations such as this one.
Since the apartment building collapse on Thursday, five people have died and 156 people remain missing.