Building collapse death toll at 16, authorities coping with bad weather 3 minutes read
Miami, Jun 30 (EFE).- Rescue teams are tirelessly removing rubble from the huge mound of debris resulting from the partial collapse of a 12-story condo building in Surfside, Florida, and – so far – the confirmed death toll stands at 16, although another 147 people are missing or unaccounted for.
Rescue and recovery efforts are in their seventh day and the task is being made difficult by rain and the threat of a tropical storm moving in the direction of the Miami metro area, where Surfside is located.
At a press conference near site of the Champlain Towers – which collapsed at 1:30 am on June 24 – Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the new death toll figure of 16, reducing the number of people on the missing list to 147, while 139 people who were in the condo complex – albeit in uncollapsed wings – at the time of the tragedy survived.
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.
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Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 7:43 pm | כ תמוז תשפ א
SURFSIDE, Fla. (Miami Herald/TNS) -
Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 7:43 pm | כ תמוז תשפ א
Members of the Israel Rescuers delegation gather upon their arrival in the area near the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in the city of Surfside, Florida, on June 27, 2021. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
Just 72 hours after part of an oceanfront condo collapsed in Surfside, members of the Homefront Command of the Israel Defense Forces were on their way to assist search and rescue efforts.
Not only did they bring physics and engineering specialists to expertly dig through rubble, but they also offered tools to help families cope with unprecedented trauma of what may be the deadliest accidental building collapse in American history.
Wed 30th June 2021 | 10:36 PM
The death toll in the collapse of a beachfront condo building in Florida has risen by four to 16, an official said Wednesday
Surfside, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jun, 2021 ) :The death toll in the collapse of a beachfront condo building in Florida has risen by four to 16, an official said Wednesday.
Another 147 people remain unaccounted for in last Thursday s tragedy, and the search and rescue effort amid the debris continues, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news conference.
Tomorrow will be one week. So until one week, I still hope.
Tons of crushed concrete and bad weather
The collapse happened while many residents were asleep, and Vach said crews have been looking for bedrooms buried under 13-16 feet of concrete. Most of the collapse is very, very tight. The collapse was major, Vach said.
Rescue crews will soon face another challenge: inclement weather.
Rain and thunderstorms arrived Wednesday and more are expected Thursday. There is a potential for strong winds and lightning.
But canine crews will not be hampered after stormy weather, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said.
He said two teams of dogs one searching for survivors, the other looking for victims are able to follow scents even after wind and rain.