Three more victims have been found dead in the rubble of a collapsed South Florida condominium as crews resumed their search following the demolition of the remaining part of the building.
The victims were recovered Monday morning, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told family members, raising the death toll to 27 people. More than 115 people remain unaccounted for.
The demolition opened up a previously unreachable area for rescuers, though the chances of finding any survivors there waned, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on NBC's Today.
"We understand that families realize the fact that time has gone by, they realize that the chances are growing all dimmer," she said. "They are with us, they know what we've been doing every step of the way."
Crews could be seen climbing a mound of debris at the site Monday alongside a piece of heavy equipment that was picking up rubble.
Clearing new debris
Crews immediately began clearing some of the new debris after the demolition late Sunday so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Officials said the search effort resumed before midnight.
"As a result of the contractor who brought it down, he did it in such a way that literally we actually were back on the original pile in less than 20 minutes," Jadallah told family members of those missing, drawing applause in a rare upbeat moment for the twice-daily meetings.
Rescuers were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble as they search for those believed to be trapped under the fallen wing of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside that collapsed June 24.
No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse. On Sunday, Miami-Dade police identified David Epstein, 58, as one of the 27 people known to have perished in the fallen tower. His remains were recovered Friday.
During the demolition, a loud rat-tat-tat of explosions echoed from the structure. Then the building began to fall, one floor after another, cascading into an explosion of dust. Plumes billowed into the air, as crowds watched the scene from afar.
"It was picture perfect. Exactly what we were told would happen," Levine Cava said in an interview shortly after the demolition.
Residents denied last return to condo
It wasn't long before cranes were again in motion at the site.
Some residents had pleaded to return to their homes one last time before the demolition to retrieve belongings left in haste, but were denied. Others wondered about the pets left behind, even though officials said they found no signs of animals after making three final sweeps, including the use of drones to peer into the abandoned structure.
Levine Cava said officials have been explaining their decisions with the survivors since the beginning of the search and rescue effort.
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The mayor also said that teams are working to save any personal items they can.
"We have been asking them to go ahead and catalogue all of their precious belongings so that as soon as they are recovered, we'll be able to make a match," she said.
Storm on the way
Approaching tropical storm Elsa had added urgency to the demolition plans with forecasts suggesting the system could bring strong winds. U.S. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida because of the storm, making federal aid possible.
The latest forecasts have moved the storm westward, mostly sparing South Florida, but National Hurricane Center meteorologist Robert Molleda said the area could still feel effects.
"We're expecting primarily tropical storm-force gusts," Molleda said, referring to gusts above 64 km/h.
The decision to demolish the remnants of 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. Parts of the remaining building shifted on Thursday, prompting a 15-hour suspension in the work.
Authorities had gone door-to-door to advise nearby residents of the timing of the demolition, and to ask them to keep windows closed. They were told to stay inside until two hours after the blast to avoid the dust raised by the implosion.
'Energetic felling'
The method used for Sunday night's demolition is called "energetic felling," which uses small detonation devices and relies on the force of gravity. The goal was to bring the building down in place, containing the collapse to the immediate surroundings.
Officials used tarps to visually mark the search area, in case new debris scattered unexpectedly.
State officials said they hired the BG Group, a general contractor based in Delray Beach, Fla., to lead the demolition. They did not immediately respond to an inquiry about how the firm was selected, but a contract for the project calls for the state to pay the company $935,000 US.
A spokesperson for the state's Division of Emergency Management said the company subcontracted with Maryland-based Controlled Demolition Inc., which experts say is among only a handful of companies in the U.S. that demolishes structures using explosives. The company was expected to place explosives on the basement and lobby levels of the still-standing structure, according to the contract for the work.
CDI is "probably one of the best" in the industry, said Steve Schwartz, a member of the National Demolition Association's board of directors. He described the company's president and owner, Mark Loizeaux, as "cool, calm and collected."
In implosions — using explosives to have a building fall in on itself — the charges are generally set off in rapid succession over a matter of seconds, said Scott Homrich, who heads the National Demolition Association and runs his own demolition company in Detroit. Setting the explosives off at intervals serves to break up the building at the same time it's coming down.
3 more victims found in collapsed Miami-area condo - CBC.ca
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