A Miami-Dade fire rescue crew is in Barbados helping in the search for a family after a building fell
By Peter Bailey
The Miami Herald
MIAMI — A team from Miami-Dade fire rescue has been sent to Barbados to assist in efforts to find a family thought to be trapped in the collapse of an apartment complex early Sunday.
The 15-member crew arrived late Sunday evening and has worked around the clock to try to locate the family of five, officials said.
“Our guys have been working nonstop ... but as of this moment we haven’t found anyone yet,” Lt. Eddy Ballester said.
Late Monday, a spokeswoman for the Barbados government said the rescue team had shifted its focus to recovery and cadaver dogs were being sent in to search the ruins.
The team from Miami had been using cameras to search for compartments where people might have found refuge.
The two-story concrete complex, built on a shelf of land above a cave, began collapsing early Sunday and one unit fell about 50 feet into the cave, Barbados Attorney General Dale Marshall said.
A 30-year-old man and his 27-year-old wife are missing, along with their daughter, 7, and two sons, ages 3 and 1, local TV stations reported.
Five other families living in the complex were evacuated, officials said.
Copyright 2007 The Miami Herald
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