More Bodies Found in The Rubble After Miami Condo Is Demolished
Image taken during the demolition of the Surfside condo Sunday night (Sam Navarro USA Today Network)
After a controlled demolition the remains of the Surfside Florida condo on Sunday night, rescue efforts resumed on Monday. Rescue teams found four more bodies, bringing the death toll to 28 .
The search efforts had been paused due to fear of another collapse, which launched a controlled explosion that took down the remains of the building.
11 days after the initial collapse of the Champlain Towers South, more than 100 people are still missing.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County told reporters on Monday that the demolition was “executed exactly as planned” leaving officials positive about safely continue their search through the rubble.
Search teams also began utilizing heavy equipment, since there were no longer concerns about preserving the building’s stability.
Mayor Levine Cava explained that rescuers were now able to search all areas of the collapsed building for the first time. They have now accounted for 191 residents; 117 remain missing.
Tropical Storm Elsa played a large role in the decision to demolish the remaining portion of the Surfside condo. Meteorologists predicted that the storm would miss Surfside, yet it was expected to hit Miami with heavy winds and rainfall.
With the storm quickly approaching, engineers had to balance an urgent time crunch against the sensitivity the site demanded. Ensuring the blast would direct debris away from the preexisting rubble.
Before the demolition, residents of the building requested being able to retrieve personal belongings that they had to leave behind. However, officials communicated that it was too dangerous.
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents the area in Congress, said on Sunday, “So often, demolitions of buildings are a spectacle — it’s almost like a show. This particular demolition is certainly the furthest thing from that.”