Demolition widens search at condo site, but storms threaten
In the hours following the demolition of the remaining part of a collapsed condo building in Surfside, Fla., three more bodies were recovered.
Rescuers searched through fresh rubble Monday after the remains of the collapsed Florida condominium building were demolished, allowing crews into places that were previously inaccessible, including bedrooms where people were believed to be sleeping at the time of the June 24 disaster, officials said.
But the crews faced a new challenge from thunderstorms that hit the area as tropical storm Elsa approached the state.
Four more victims were discovered in the pile, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told family members, bringing the death toll to 28. There are still 117 people unaccounted for.
“We know that with every day that goes by, it is harder to see a miracle happening,” said Maggie Castro, a firefighter and paramedic with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department who briefs families daily.
Many are feared dead and trapped in the rubble after the collapse of part of a 12-story beachfront condo tower in the Miami suburb of Surfside.
The demolition late Sunday was crucial to the search-and-rescue effort, officials said, and raised the prospect that crews could increase both the pace of their work and the number of searchers at the site, although the chance of finding survivors 12 days after the collapse has diminished.
“We will be able to access every part of that pile, which they hadn’t been able to do up to this point,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “I think it’s going to move the pace. I think the momentum is very strong.”
Teams had been unable to access areas close to the remaining structure because of its instability, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
“Truly we could not continue without bringing this building down,” she said at a news conference.
Some residents in the twin tower of the collapsed Florida condo building are too afraid to stay, but others say the sister structure is in good shape.
Part of the existing debris pile was helping to support the remaining structure, City of Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll said. Rescuers were still holding out hope of reuniting loved ones.
“We continue to remain focused on our primary mission, and that is to leave no stone unturned and to find as many people as we can and to help bring either some answers to family and loved ones or to bring some closure to them,” Carroll said.
Many residents and second-home owners in the tiny coastal city of Surfside, just a few miles northeast of Miami, spoke of being unnerved about their future on this barrier island.
Crews could be seen climbing a mound of debris at the site Monday alongside a piece of heavy equipment that was picking up rubble. Jadallah said rescuers focused on a stairwell section, but inclement weather hampered the search, particularly in a garage area that was filling with water.
The latest forecasts showed the storm moving westward, mostly sparing South Florida, but the area near the collapsed building experienced thunderstorms, and the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Miami Beach, just south of Surfside.
Lightning caused temporary stops to the search, frustrating rescue crews, Levine Cava said. “Truly they live to save lives, and they’ve pushed ahead no matter what is thrown in their way.”
After the demolition, workers immediately began clearing the new debris, and the search resumed around midnight, officials said. It had been called off Saturday to allow specialists to drill holes for explosives needed for the demolition.
Owners of units in the collapsed Florida condo tower were days away from starting to pay for more than $9 million in repairs recommended in 2018.
“As a result of the contractor who brought it down, he did it in such a way that literally we actually were back on the original pile in less than 20 minutes,” Jadallah told family members of those missing Monday, drawing applause in a rare upbeat moment for the twice-daily meetings.
Rescuers hoped to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble as they search for those believed to be trapped under the fallen wing of the Champlain Towers South. The crews, however, have found very few voids, Jadallah said.
No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse.
During the demolition, one floor after another began to fall, cascading into an explosion of dust. Plumes billowed into the air as crowds watched from afar.
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Some residents had pleaded to return to their homes one last time before the demolition to retrieve belongings, but they were denied. Others wondered about pets left behind. Officials said they found no signs of animals after making three final sweeps, including using drones to peer into the abandoned structure.
Levine Cava said teams are working to save personal belongings and have asked residents to catalog what they’re missing to match with items as soon as they are recovered.
“The world is mourning for those who lost their loved ones and for those who are waiting for news from the collapse,” she said at the news conference. “To lose your home and all your belongings in this manner is a great loss as well.”
The decision to demolish the remnants of the building was made amid concerns that the damaged structure was at risk of falling, endangering the crews below. Parts of the remaining building shifted Thursday, prompting a 15-hour suspension in search-and-rescue work.
Licon and Calvan write for the Associated Press. AP writers Cody Jackson, Rebecca Santana, Freida Frisaro, Ian Mader, David Fischer and Sudhin Thanawala contributed to this report.
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