A 96-year-old woman's frightening fall through the floor of a Miami duplex has led to the displacement of six people, officials said. The residence on the 900 block of Southwest 12th Avenue in the Little Havana area became a scene of urgency as Miami Fire Rescue hustled to the spot earlier today, after floors gave way beneath the woman's feet, as WSVN reported. Crews were able to extract the woman, who was found waist-high in debris.
Authorities and rescue workers found the building in such a disrepair, with multiple cracks lining the building's walls, that it has since been declared unsafe for occupancy, displacing the six adults residing there, according to an interview with Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez provided to Local 10 News. The elderly woman is presently staying with her landlord, after contact with her family could not be established.
Images distributed by Miami Fire Rescue showcase a substantial hollow where the floor once supported life and movement. Nearby, tiles lay shattered and walls fissured, bearing tell-tale signs of the structural fatigue that precipitated the incident. The woman did not sustain serious injuries and did not require hospitalization. Nonetheless, the accident reflects a concern that can't be easily patched up or put aside—the safety of our aging infrastructure and those it shelters.
As the duplex was cordoned off and evacuations ensued, the American dream with a white picket fence was replaced by the reality of red tape and relocation. A family of five, from a nearby unit, find temporary solace with relatives, while their landlord scrambles to secure them a new abode, as per Local 10. Salvadorian officials continue to investigate the cause of this sudden structural failure, which remains unknown.
