North Miami is emptying out a residential building deemed structurally unsafe after a review following the deadly Champlain Towers South collapse
- North Miami evacuated a condo building after an audit prompted by the Surfside condo collapse.
- The Crestview Towers was found to be structurally and electrically unsafe, a statement said.
- A 2018 audit found the Champlain Towers South, which fell last week, had "major structural damage."
The city of North Miami is evacuating a residential building following a review prompted by last week's deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida.
An audit found the 156-unit Crestview Towers, which was built in 1972, structurally and electrically unsafe, a press release said.
"In an abundance of caution, the City ordered the building closed immediately and the residents evacuated for their protection, while a full structural assessment is conducted and next steps are determined," City Manager Arthur H. Sorey III said in the release.
The Champlain Towers South in Surfside collapsed on June 24. At least 22 people have died and more than 120 people remained unaccounted for as of Friday, July 2.
Last week, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava ordered an audit of all buildings that are more than 40 years old following the collapse.
"We want to make sure that every building has completed their re-certification process, and we want to move swiftly to remediate any issues that may have been identified in that process," Cava said during a news conference.
"So, we're going to conduct this audit within the next 30 days, and we are beginning right now," she continued.
In 2018. an engineering consultant found "major structural damage" at the Champlain Towers South, documents released by the town of Surfside showed. It's not yet clear whether that damage contributed to the collapse.
The audit of the Crestview Towers was ordered on Tuesday. An inspector reviewed the building on Friday and found it to be unsafe.
A press release said the city police will assist to ensure the evacuation is safe and the American Red Cross will help displaced residents find temporary shelter.