Updated July 4
Condo to be razed Sunday night or Monday morning as Elsa approaches
The approach of the tropical storm adds a perilous new variable to the rescue mission and accelerates demolition plans.
By Kim Bellware and Brittany ShammasThe Washington Post
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Workers prepared what’s left of the Champlain Towers South building for a demolition that is slated for late Sunday or early Monday as search-and-rescue efforts remained paused and Tropical Storm Elsa drew closer to Florida.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said a crew is set to level the remainder of the building between the hours of 10 p.m. Sunday and 3 a.m. Monday. She has said the demolition is officials’ “top priority” so firefighters can resume their search for those lost in the rubble.
Explosives set off to bring down rest of collapsed condo
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) â Demolition crews set off explosives late Sunday to bring down the damaged remaining portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a key step to resuming the search for victims as rescuers possibly gain access to new areas of the rubble.
A number of explosions could be heard and then the building started to fall, sending up massive plumes of dust into the air in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Crews were to begin clearing some of the new debris so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Once there, they were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.
Explosives set off to bring down rest of collapsed condo
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) â Demolition crews set off explosives late Sunday to bring down the damaged remaining portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a key step to resuming the search for victims as rescuers possibly gain access to new areas of the rubble.
A number of explosions could be heard and then the building started to fall, sending up massive plumes of dust into the air in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Crews were to begin clearing some of the new debris so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Once there, they were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.
Demolition specialists finished boring holes and began laying explosives in them Sunday as they prepared to bring down the precarious but still-standing portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a top Miami-Dade fire official said. The work has suspended the search-and-rescue mission, but officials said it should eventually open up new areas for rescue teams to explore. The decision to demolish the Surfside building came after concerns mounted that the damaged structure was at risk of falling, endangering the crews below and preventing them from operating in some areas. Our top priority is that the building come down as soon as possible, no matter what time that occurs and as safely as possible, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news conference Sunday. Bringing down this building in a controlled manner is critical to expanding the scope of our search-and-rescue effort.