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Teams from Mexico and Israel have been brought in to support the rescue operation.
Three years ago, an engineering firm said the building needed major repairs to fix damaged concrete in columns, beams and walls.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said rescue and recovery operations are the first priority, followed by helping the survivors.
“Then, the next most important thing is why did this happen?” he said Sunday. “I do think it’s important that we get a definitive explanation.” With files from The Associated Press
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Surfside building collapse latest: 4 more victims identified
Death toll stands at 9 in Florida building collapse
Replay Video UP NEXT The death toll has climbed to nine from the partial collapse of a 12-story condominium building in Surfside, Florida, as a massive search and rescue mission continued into its fourth day on Sunday, officials said. Four more bodies were recovered overnight from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South condominium that buckled and gave way into a pancaking catastrophe around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday as many residents were asleep, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference Sunday morning. More than 150 people remain unaccounted for.
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Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said his department is continuing to conduct a search and rescue operation and has no plans to give up the search for survivors.
“Hope, that’s what I’m focusing on,” he said.
Cominsky said rescue teams are searching aggressively, but the search remains a slow process.
“What we’re encountering here is a very extreme, challenging situation, this type of collapse is difficult,” he said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel sprayed water on a fire in the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building as search and rescue operations continued on June 25. Photo by Joe Raedle /Getty Images
Surfside building collapse latest: 4 more victims identified
Death toll stands at 9 in Florida building collapse
Replay Video UP NEXT The death toll has climbed to nine from the partial collapse of a 12-story condominium building in Surfside, Florida, as a massive search and rescue mission continued into its fourth day on Sunday, officials said. Four more bodies were recovered overnight from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South condominium that buckled and gave way into a pancaking catastrophe around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday as many residents were asleep, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference Sunday morning. More than 150 people remain unaccounted for.