Death toll from Surfside, Florida condo collapse climbs 64 as search for survivors winds down
Memorial and vigil wall set up in Surfside, Florida (Credit: WSWS Media)
After two weeks of search operations to find those missing in the rubble, first responders paused their work briefly at 1:20 a.m. Thursday and held a moment of silence to honor the victims of the tragedy. No survivors have been found since the early hours after the collapse on June 24.
In light of the rising death count and inability to find survivors, authorities announced yesterday that the operation was being recategorized from a “search-and-rescue mission” to a “recovery effort,” meaning that there was little to no possibility of saving any additional lives. Rescue crews have said many victims were found in their beds, with the collapse proving to be one of the deadliest mass casualty building disasters in US history, not including fires or terrorist attacks.