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Nov 8, 2008 11:38 pm US/Eastern
Miami Reaches Out To Haiti School Collapse Victims
LITTLE HAITI, Fla. (CBS4) ―
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Rescue workers carry a victim of the College Promesse Evangelique school collapse on Nov. 7, 2008, in Petion-ville, Haiti.
Thony Belizaire/AFP/Getty Images
Nightfall in the suburbs of Port-Au-Prince was not enough to stop the frantic search for children trapped under a collapsed school. Neither was it enough to stop South Floridians from rising to the occasion to help those in need.
The three-story building crumbled Friday morning, likely due to faulty construction. Nearly 500 children, from kindergarten through high school, packed into the building each day for class. Dozens are already confirmed dead, while hundreds more are believed to be trapped below the massive pile of debris.
Poorly-built homes and buildings are common on the hillside near the capital. Other building failures are feared. "We call on everyone here to please come down from their roofs," said President Rene Preval, "We do not want any more victims."
Miami, with its huge Haitian population, has been quick to help the small country. Local organizers are pulling together resources and asking for support from the community. "Haiti doesn't have the equipment to meet that situation," Raymond Emanuel of the Haitian American United program told
CBS4 Reporter Sharrie Williams, "That's why we are asking citizens to see if they can pitch in."
While Miami leaders are organizing how to respond to the tragedy, those in the faith community say it is a time to pray. The Notre Dame D'Haiti Catholic Church will hold a mass Sunday morning to pray for the victims and their families.
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