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Confirmed deaths jumped to 90 in recovery efforts in Miami Beach area condominium collapse as crews continue to sift through debris more than two weeks after the South Champlain Towers fell in the middle of the night.
At least 71 of the victims have been correctly identified thanks to notifications from close relatives sent to their families, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Sunday morning. Search efforts accelerated last week after authorities demolished a still standing part of the building that was preventing teams from accessing part of the debris pile.
It is estimated that 31 people are still missing.
Officials said on Saturday there had been an increase in the number of casualties recovered because crews were able to remove a large amount of debris from the pile. An estimated 14 million pounds of concrete was removed, Cava told reporters on Sunday.
Cava also thanked the international crew who flew to assist local authorities in the recovery efforts, especially an Israeli team who offered to help. She handed over the keys to the county to the team commander as a token of gratitude for her work, the mayor said.
“We especially wanted to salute the Israeli team ahead of their departure today, in recognition of their unwavering dedication and compassionate service to our community and the families and survivors of this tragedy,†Cava said.
Police work with teams to meticulously catalog all personal items that are recovered as teams sift through debris to return them to families. Detectives work with families not only to determine who may still be missing in the collapse, but also to note which items – including family heirlooms or those with religious significance – might be exceptional.
Sunday marked day 18 as the Champlain South Towers unexpectedly gave way and collapsed to the ground around 1:30 a.m.ET.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said engineers examining the Champlain North Towers, about a block from the collapsed building, expected test results to be returned soon.
“The first results on concrete are that the strength of the concrete is very good and at or above the levels at which it should be,†said Burkett. “They’re analyzing the content and substance of the concrete, and it’s going to take a little longer.”
The cause of the June 24 collapse is still unclear, although documents released in the aftermath of the crash included a 2018 report that highlighted concerns from an engineer that the building had “structural damage. major “. The engineer said his findings showed there were “extensive cracks” and crumbling in the condominium’s underground parking lot.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology and local agencies are investigating the causes of the partial collapse. An audit is underway in the Miami-Dade area to examine the structural integrity of similar buildings, especially those undergoing a 40-year recertification.
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