Hear
An apartment complex located in the city of Miami, in the state of Florida, It started catching fire this Monday morning and still has large flames and amounts of smoke. that are being fought by local firefighters.
The fire occurred on the third floor of the building, where firefighters said a person was found shot. The victim, an employee of the complex, was taken to a hospital and authorities said they are still investigating what happened.
The fire, at the Temple Court apartment complexwest of Interstate 95, near downtown Miami, occurred around 8:15 a.m., the mayor said Francis X. Suarez in an interview at the scene. Authorities arrived and found one person wounded by a gunshot, the mayor said.
The firefighters proceeded with the rescue of several of the residents who had gathered on the balconies of the complex to be able to breathe better due to the consistency of the smoke.
The man was in critical condition due to several gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital, while authorities added the possible shooting to the investigation into what caused the fire. For its part, Miami police officials indicated that it was “an isolated incident,” meaning there is no fugitive.
Videos showed large plumes of smoke billowing from the top floor as firefighters battled the flames from outside, spraying large amounts of water on the building.
“During the evacuation, there was a loud explosion,” said Lt. Ignatius Carroll Jr. of the Miami Fire and Rescue Department. “and we noticed that parts of the ceiling and walls seemed to become unstable.” He described the structure as an older wood-frame building, which he said made it more vulnerable to fire damage.
Due to the intensity of the flames, two firefighters also had to be taken to a fenced-in hospital due to smoke inhalation and heat stroke, but both are in stable condition.
The images, which were taken by helicopters that approached the area, show the flames coming out of the building in the middle of the large columns of smokewhich remain even hours after the start of the incident has been reported.
Additionally, there are at least two fire trucks working at the Temple Court apartment complex – which is made up of one-bedroom and studio units – with ladders and huge cranes launching water and foam onto the damaged structure.
Finally, it emerged that the rescued residents and those who were able to leave on their own were taken to an area where they were provided with food and medicine. In addition to the gunshot wound, It is still unknown if there were more injuries..
“It’s still very active, but we don’t want people to be alarmed and we’re handling it the best we can,” said Chiquita Thomas-Butler of the Miami Police Department. Authorities established a unified command to streamline communications between firefighters, police and other agencies.
Residents who escaped from the building were in a waiting area outside the complex before authorities began moving them to José Martí Park, where they were being provided with food and medicine, Suárez said.
“They seem to be relatively good spiritsgiven that they are obviously in a situation that is incredibly difficult for them and their families to witness,” he said.
Agencies AP, AFP and The New York Times
THE NATION
