A Briton is among scores of people missing following the collapse of a 12-storey building in Miami, authorities have confirmed, amid reports that a British mother, her husband and daughter are unaccounted for.
Relatives of 38-year-old Bhavna Patel, a British and US citizen, told Sky News that she, Vishal Patel, 42, and one-year-old Aishani Patel are among more than 150 people who authorities in Florida have said are yet to be found.
“We are supporting the family of a British woman following the residential building collapse in Miami and our consulate in Miami is in contact with the local authorities conducting the search and rescue operation,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Friday.
The Foreign Office minister for the Americas, Wendy Morton, said: “Truly tragic images from Miami. British consulate staff are in contact with the local authorities. Our thoughts are with friends and family of those who have died or still missing, and also the rescuers doing everything they can at the scene.”
Four people are known to have been killed and 11 injuries were reported following the collapse of much of the Champlain Towers South building in the Surfside area of Miami.
Several people have been pulled from the rubble and there have been reports of noises emanating from it. But local authorities have said they expect the death toll to increase as the rescue workers continue their searches.
Search and rescue teams worked through the night, encountering rainstorms and small fires in the rubble, hoping to detect sounds coming from survivors. The crews, which include 130 firefighters working in teams, are approaching the pile from above and below as they search for signs of life.
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