Residents Forced to Evacuate Florida Building Over Structural Crack Almost 4 Years After Surfside Condo Collapse
Authorities in Clearwater, Fla. evacuated 60 people from a condo building after cracks in a pillar were spotted
Further work to stabilize the building is expected to continue while residents wait to return
The incident comes nearly four years after the Surfside condo collapse that killed 98 people
About 60 people were evacuated from a Florida condo building as a precautionary measure after cracks were discovered in a pillar, authorities said.
On Tuesday, May 6, Clearwater Police Department and Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department stated on social media that the evacuation took place at the South Beach Condos III in the Sand Key neighborhood.
'We're on scene along with [Clearwater Fire and Rescue] at South Beach Condos III at 1460 Gulf Blvd.,' the police posted on X. 'All of the residents have been evacuated as personnel evaluate the structure of the building after cracks were found in a pillar.'
'We're on scene of a condo building on Sand Key with potential structural issues,' the fire department also posted. 'Evacuations have been completed and the county's technical rescue team is evaluating the situation.'
Related: 99 People Remain Missing After Fla. Condo Collapse That 'Felt Like an Earthquake': 'It's Bad'
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Construction workers renovating the building's bottom floor parking garage observed a crack in a concrete column on Tuesday, ABC affiliate WFTS reported, prompting police to respond about 3:55 p.m. local time.
'They deemed that the structure was unsafe and needed to be restabilized,' Jevon Graham, division chief of the Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department, said on Tuesday, per CBS affiliate WTSP.
According to the outlet, first responders said the crack was at least 2 feet wide. 'It was getting bigger at this time,' Graham added. 'They feel it's getting stabilized but they still need to support the structure and secure it so it doesn't collapse or break down anymore.'
In a news release shared with PEOPLE by the Clearwater Police Department, firefighters and police went door to door to evacuate 60 people from the 12-story building. At the time, they said, the building was 40% occupied.
Related: At Least 11 People Dead — Several from the Same Family — After a 4-Story Residential Building Collapsed
'So I'm running down the stairs saying, 'Oh my gosh, I hope the building doesn't fall down,' " resident Aurora Donnelly told NBC affiliate WFLA, explaining that she immediately thought of the 2021 Surfside condo collapse.
Per the police, there had been no structural collapse in Sand Key.
Additionally, no injuries were reported during the evacuation, but officials said that no one would be allowed back inside until authorities declare it safe, per Fox affiliate WTVT.
A representative from the Clearwater Police Department told PEOPLE on the early afternoon of Wednesday, May 7, that the residents still have not yet been able to return to the building.
'The scene was turned over to the private contractor and engineer around 9 p.m.,' according to Clearwater police's update from Tuesday. 'Clearwater firefighters and other members of the Pinellas County Technical Rescue team helped unload materials that those private construction workers will use to help stabilize the building. That work is expected to continue into Wednesday.'
PEOPLE contacted the Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department for additional information on Wednesday.
Related: Massive 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Thailand, Causing a 30-Story Building to Collapse as Seen in Terrifying Video
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The evacuation comes nearly four years after the deadly Champlain Towers South condo collapse in Surfside, Fla. on June 24, 2021, when 98 people died in.
Two months before the tragedy, the president of the Champlain South Towers condo association warned residents that the deterioration of the building's concrete was "accelerating" — and needed to be dealt with quickly.
As CNN reported in 2024, investigators found that the design and construction of some parts of the Champlain, which was built in the 1970s, didn't adhere to standard building code requirements back then.
'It becomes clear that the design and construction did not meet all the safety standards of its day,' Surfside Commissioner Marianne Meischeid told CNN at the time.
In 2022, a nearly $1 billion settlement was reached for the families of victims and survivors of the Surfside condo collapse.
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