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Members of the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team walk near the Champlain Towers South condo building, where scores of victims remain missing more than a week after it partially collapsed, Saturday, July 3, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Lynne Sladky
In this satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies heavy-lift cranes are used to aid in the search and recovery operation at the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building on Saturday, July 3, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. HONS
Evalyn Fregene holds a bouquet of flowers as she pays her respects at a makeshift memorial near the Champlain Towers South condo building, where scores of victims remain missing more than a week after it partially collapsed, Saturday, July 3, 2021, in Surfside, Fla.
Demolition specialists finished boring holes and began laying explosives in them Sunday as they prepared to bring down the precarious but still-standing portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a top Miami-Dade fire official said. The work has suspended the search-and-rescue mission, but officials said it should eventually open up new areas for rescue teams to explore. The decision to demolish 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. Our top priority is that the building come down as soon as possible, no matter what time that occurs and as safely as possible, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news conference Sunday. Bringing down this building in a controlled manner is critical to expanding the scope of our search-and-rescue effort.
Florida condo collapse: Demolition crews nearly done drilling
By Rebecca Santana and Bobby Caina Calvan
Published
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) - Demolition specialists bored holes for explosives Sunday as they prepared to bring down the precarious but still-standing portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building. The work has suspended the search-and-rescue mission, but officials said it should eventually open up new areas for rescue teams to explore.
The decision to demolish 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. Our top priority is that the building come down as soon as possible, no matter what time that occurs and as safely as possible, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told a news conference Sunday. Bringing down this building in a controlled manner is critical to expanding the scope of our search-and-rescue effort.
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) Demolition crews set off explosives late Sunday to bring down the damaged remaining portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a key step to resuming the search for victims as rescuers possibly gain access to new areas of the rubble.
A number of explosions could be heard and then the building started to fall, sending up massive plumes of dust into the air in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Crews were to begin clearing some of the new debris so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Once there, they were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.
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