Judge gives initial OK to $1B deal in Florida condo collapse
A Florida judge on Saturday gave initial approval to a settlement of more than $1 billion to families who lost loved ones in the collapse last year of a Florida beachfront condominium building in which 98 people died.
The quick settlement of the unprecedented collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, means that potentially years of court battles will be avoided.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman, who is overseeing the lawsuits filed after the collapse, said during a hearing held remotely it was the best possible outcome given the loss of life and property in the disaster.
“It is a great result,” Judge Hanzman said before giving preliminary approval to the agreement, which was announced Friday. “This was a very contested deal.”
Rachel Furst, co-chair of the attorney group representing victim families, said the agreement also means defendants — insurance companies, developers, the city of Surfside and others — will have “complete peace” that they won’t be sued again. Still, some people may decide to opt out of the deal and pursue their own independent claims.
“This was heavily negotiated,” Ms. Furst said. “We believe this is an outstanding settlement.”
Southwest warned of critical fire conditions
Warnings of critical fire conditions blanketed much of the U.S. Southwest on Saturday, as crews in northern New Mexico worked to stop the growth of the nation’s largest active wildfire.
The 7-week-old fire, the largest in New Mexico history, has burned 491 square miles of forest in rugged terrain east of Santa Fe since being started in April by two planned burns.
Crews were patrolling partially burned areas and clearing and cutting containment lines, including primary ones near the fire as bulldozers scraped backup lines farther away.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings of critical fire conditions for parts of Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Those conditions are combination of strong wind, low relative humidity and dry vegetation.
The return of return of drier and warmer weather with stronger winds posed a threat of increased fire activity over the Memorial Day weekend, prompting officials to urge the public to secure vehicle chains and to be careful with possible fire sources.
31 killed at church fair stampede in Nigeria
A stampede Saturday at achurch charity event in southern Nigeria left 31 people dead and seven injured, police said, a shocking development at a program that aimed to offer hope to theneedy. One witness said the dead included a pregnant woman and many children.
The stampede at the event organized by the Kings Assembly Pentecostal church in Rivers state involved people who came tothe church’s annual “Shop for Free” charity program, according to Grace Iringe-Koko ,a police spokeswoman.
Such events are common in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, where more than 80million people live in poverty, according to government statistics.