Florida condo collapse: Demolition crews nearly done drilling
By Rebecca Santana and Bobby Caina Calvan
Published
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) - Demolition specialists bored holes for explosives Sunday as they prepared to bring down the precarious but still-standing portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building. 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.
By Emma Newburger, CNBC •
Updated on July 4, 2021 at 11:14 pm
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
The rest of the partially collapsed condominium tower in Surfside, Florida was demolished around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Search-and-rescue efforts will restart immediately once the building is down and the site is secure, the mayor said.
No one has been rescued since the first few hours after the collapse 11 days ago.
The death toll had risen to 24 people as of Saturday, with 121 still missing.
The rest of the partially collapsed condominium tower in Surfside, Florida was demolished around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
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Collapsed Florida condo demolished ahead of storm, search to resume
Search-and-rescue efforts for 121 people missing have been suspended. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters earlier on Sunday that rescue efforts would resume after the demolition, noting it was 11 days since the collapse.
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By Francisco Alvarado / Reuters | 10:16 pm, Jul. 4, 2021 ×
View of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South residential building as it is demolished, in Surfside, Florida, U.S., Sunday night, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Marco Bello
SURFSIDE, Fla., July 4 (Reuters) - The partially collapsed Miami-area condo where 24 people are confirmed dead was demolished on Sunday night, ahead of the possible arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa.
A controlled demolition brings down the damaged portion of the collapsed Surfside building.
Photo: AFP
Search-and-rescue efforts for 121 people missing have been suspended. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters earlier on Sunday that rescue efforts would resume after the demolition, noting it was 11 days since the collapse.
Video footage showed the 12-storey building collapsing downward and throwing up plumes of smoke.
As of Sunday afternoon, Tropical Storm Elsa was off the coast of Cuba with winds of 95km/h. After moving across Cuba later on Sunday and Monday, the storm was forecast to approach western Florida on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Associated Press
Demolition teams are preparing to bring down the unstable remainder of the collapsed condo structure in Surfside, Fla., ahead of a tropical storm. Previous Next
Monday, July 05, 2021 1:00 am
Collapsed condo set for demolition
ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and TERRY SPENCER | Associated Press
SURFSIDE, Fla. – 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.