Authorities have confirmed the death of a Costa Rican citizen in the partial collapse of a large residential building in Surfside, Florida.
The news was announced Tuesday by the Foreign Ministry, on behalf of the Consulate General of Costa Rica in Miami.
“The Consulate General of Costa Rica in Miami was officially informed, by local authorities, of the death of the Costa Rican who was on the list of missing persons in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South apartment building,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry did not provide the individual’s identity “out of respect for privacy.”
“The Foreign Ministry expresses the feelings of solidarity with the relatives of the Costa Rican and the victims of the tragedy caused by the collapse of the building in Miami, Florida,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Large sections of Champlain Towers South, a 12-story residential building, collapsed Thursday morning. At least 11 people died and 150 people are still unaccounted for as rescue efforts continue, per CNN. The cause of the disaster is still unknown, though an engineering report found “major structural damage” in certain portions of the building.
The Champlain Towers South condominium “was a true reflection of Miami’s international mix,” housing residents who hailed from across the world, the Associated Press described.
U.S. authorities have helped family members from more than a dozen countries get expedited visas to travel to Florida.
The Consulate General of Costa Rica in Miami has made the following email addresses available to answer questions from Costa Ricans: consuladomiami@rree.go.cr and aarroyo@rree.go.cr. It is located at 2730 SW 3rd Ave suite 401, Miami, Florida 33129.
