Miami Tragedy

Excerpt from the Jamaica Observer column published Monday, June 28, 2021

By Jean Lowrie Chin

The video recordings of the partial collapse of a condominium complex near Miami Beach are stunning. Now, rescue workers are digging through the rubble to find the 159 persons who are unaccounted for, as we hope and pray with their grieving families. On social media, architects and construction engineers are weighing in, suggesting faulty design, rising waters and poor maintenance. The lesson to builders here in Jamaica, is that it may seem like an arduous stretch to get the soil-testing, the NWA, NEPA and Fire Dept approvals, but we must respect the process.