President Joe Biden is expected on Friday to address the building collapse in Florida after issuing an emergency declaration overnight to authorize federal assistance, according to an administration official.

At least four people are dead and 159 people are unaccounted for after a residential building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, on Thursday. Search and rescue teams are racing to find survivors.

Biden was updated Friday morning on the rising number of people who are unaccounted for and will receive regular updates throughout the day, a White House official says.

The President’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Florida came after a day of discussions between the White House and the office of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A White House statement released at around 1 a.m. ET confirmed the president authorized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures…”

FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide equipment and resources to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, the statement read. That includes “debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)