- Searchers found two more bodies in the collapsed Champlain Tann Building.
- As the tropical storm approaches, staff are preparing to razor the Florida building to the ground.
- A Covid-19 case was found in one of the rescue teams.
Authorities said on Saturday that searchers found two more bodies, bringing the death toll from the collapse of the Florida apartment building to 24. Because the search for the victims was suspended in the afternoon, the demolition staff could prepare to demolish the parts of the building that were still standing.
Read | The death toll from building collapse in Florida rises to 22
With Tropical Storm Elsa raging in the Caribbean, it is expected to bring it to Florida early next week, so razing has become particularly urgent.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said, “Search and rescue do have to be temporarily suspended during preparations for demolition. When the staff got into the pillars of the damaged building, the first responders The standing buildings constitute a threat said.
“Once we are cleaned up, we will start search and rescue again wherever we can safely enter.”
Levine Cava said that nine days after the collapse of the town of Surfside, 121 people are still missing.
Tropical Storm Elsa
The hope of finding anyone alive is rapidly diminishing.
In the early morning of June 24, most of the 12-story building of Champlain Towers South collapsed, raising huge dust, making Americans unprepared for this deadly urban disaster.
As Tropical Storm Elsa travels north through the Caribbean Sea, slightly weaker than the hurricane — currently heading straight to Florida — the authorities are speeding up plans to demolish the rest of the structure.
Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters that the demolition work may be completed before Elsa arrives, possibly on Tuesday.
The authorities have previously stated that this work may take several weeks, but Republican DeSantis said that speeding up the demolition is only a prudent move.
He said that the demolition work can be completed within 36 hours-requiring “the search and rescue team to stop as little as possible”-once it is determined that no fire has occurred, the screening of existing debris can be resumed.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Kominsky said that at the same time, several Covid-19 cases were found in a search team.
He said that the team has been demobilized and a medical agreement has been drawn up to isolate anyone affected.
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