By Alex Browning, Aaron Page
Click here for updates on this story
SURFSIDE, Florida (WSVN) — Families and loved ones of the 98 people who lost their lives in the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside will come together to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the tragedy.
Members of the community, families, survivors, and first responders gathered at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday at 88th and Collins to remember and recite the names of those who lost their lives.
“Next thing I know, I was falling, and I had woken up to my home being gone and having a broken femur. So, it’s definitely a very traumatic night that I sometimes have a hard time talking about,” said Deven Gonzalez, a survivor. “Honestly, every other day is a battle. Even on other days it could be my dad’s birthday; it could be a holiday. No matter what, we always relive it. Sometimes we can just be at home, and the flashbacks come back. It’s just definitely having a community all together, not just me, but even all the 98 other families and people who have lost somebody. It’s nice to know that someone is there to support me, because at the end of the day no one else knows what I went through.”
Deven is one of three survivors of the tragedy. Unfortunately, her father, Edgar, was unable to make it out.
Pablo Langsfield lost his daughter, Nicole, and his son-in-law, Luis.
“For the families, the survivors, and the friends, every day is June 24th. Every day we carry the weight of what happened on that tragic night,” he said. “And now, four years later, four long years have passed, and we still don’t know why the building collapsed. We need closure. We need clarity. We need accountability.”
Federal investigators say they are closer than ever to having an answer to what went wrong on that fateful day.
“Our investigation revealed widespread areas where the construction of Champlain Towers South failed to meet the requirements of the design documents and applicable codes and standards,” said Glenn Bell, co-lead investigator of the CTS collapse.
Monday afternoon, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a comprehensive update of the disaster, suggesting construction and structural failures led to the imminent collapse, including influence from environmental factors for 40 years. The final report is expected to be released in 2026.
“We intend for our investigation of this failure to have a lasting impact, save future lives, and ensure this never happens again,” said Mitrani-Reiser.
Surfside is moving forward with a memorial that will not be on the collapse site, as developers have announced plans to develop the property.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Surfside hosts ceremony during fourth anniversary of Champlain Towers South collapse News Channel 3-12.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Surfside hosts ceremony during fourth anniversary of Champlain Towers South collapse )
Also on site :
- Palestinians in Gaza are calling for their own ceasefire
- Shrimp and grit: Commercial fishermen, coastal legislators vow to spike proposed shrimping ban
- Qatar PM: Iran strike inflicted ‘scar’ on relations