SURFSIDE, Fla. – The bodies of two children were found in the rubble of the collapsed condo building outside Miami on Wednesday, raising the death toll in the disaster to 18.
The children were 4 and 10 years old, said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who provided the update at an afternoon news conference. The number of missing people is now 145. Any loss of life, especially given the nature of this unexpected, unprecedented event, is a tragedy, Levine Cava said. But the loss of our children is too great to bear.
Earlier in the day, Levine Cava has said four additional victims had been identified, at the time bringing the total to 16. Search officials vowed to press on with the rescue effort around the clock despite the possibility of tropical storms approaching the area.
Collapsed Miami condo s board hires Washington DC-based crisis management firm that claims it can fix the impossible as questions mount over why building collapsed and death toll hits 18
The Champlain Towers South Condominium Association has hired DC-based crisis management firm Levick, which boasts it can fix the impossible
Levick previously represented a Catholic diocese over sex abuse allegations, and clients connected to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Maxwell Marcucci, a vice president at Levick, has been assigned to the case
He must contend with a flurry of media requests over last Thursday s collapse, and claims that warnings the building s structure was damaged was ignored
Florida condo collapse death toll rises to 18 after 2 children found in rubble
By Kelly Hayes
Two of deaths reported on Wednesday afternoon were children.
Families were informed at a morning briefing that rescuers found the bodies on Tuesday night during the ongoing search at the site. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said relatives had not yet been notified.
In addition to the six bodies, crews also found other human remains. Rescuers were able to build a ramp for a crane to reach areas at the top of the pile they had not been able to access before, Jadallah said.
Editorial: Condo horror must never be repeated
Miami Herald
We have no idea yet if the “major error” discovered in the construction of the Champlain Towers South condominium contributed to the building’s partial collapse Thursday morning. We do know, however, that an engineer’s 2018 disclosure, this crumpled building and the deaths of its residents must be the catalyst for changes that ensure this never happens again.
In addition to the immediate, on-the-ground investigations, this tragedy also calls for a Miami-Dade grand jury investigation. Grand juries can decide to investigate matters of great public concern, and they routinely issue reports on broad topics. In Miami-Dade, that has included reports on the health of Biscayne Bay, in 2018, and the preparation for Hurricane Irma, in 2017. A Miami-Dade grand jury in 2018 even tackled condo owners’ complaints, issuing a list of recommended legislation. If ever there were an issue of public concern, the collapse of Cha
Nation/World News
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Updated: Six more bodies found in condo rubble; at least 18 dead
Search and rescue crews work atop the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo building, where scores of people remain missing after it partially collapsed the week before, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, in Surfside, Fla.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Search and rescue personnel work atop the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo building, where scores of people remain missing after it partially collapsed the week before, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, in Surfside, Fla.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)