MIAMI — A rabbi gave a personal prayer on Wednesday in front of rubble that was salvaged from the 2021 Surfside building collapse as families and leaders continue working toward a permanent memorial.
“That is extremely significant to return pieces of the building to their home and a stark reminder of what occurred,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
The 12-story Champlain Towers South collapsed in the middle of the night in June 2021, killing 98 people. The debris was later reconstructed to aid investigators, and the oceanfront property has since been sold to a private developer whose new project will include a memorial using pieces of concrete and steel from the site.
“These pieces are not just objects -- they are birthdays, dinners, first steps and final conversations,” said Martin Langesfeld, who lost his sister and brother-in-law in the collapse. “They will forever carry my sister Nicki and her husband Lewis along with the 96 others who were horrifically taken that night.”
Some relatives say the pain has not faded in the four and a half years since the tragedy, while others hope the planned memorial -- featuring a tranquil open space and a wall with victims’ names -- will offer a place to pray and remember their loved ones.
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