Florida: Rescue operations resume at high-rise building collapse site, demolition 'likely'

The rescue efforts at the site of a collapsed 12-storey condo building near Miami resumed on July 1 afternoon (local time) after it was suspended around 2 AM amid concerns over the stability of the remaining tower. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tweeted about the resumption of the work “after the recommendation of structural engineers who inspected the remaining structure.'' Meanwhile, Scott Nacheman, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) structures specialist, said engineers are looking at different methods for the demolition and how to proceed “to make the site safe for ongoing rescue operations.”

As per reports, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said work resumed at 4:45 PM EDT while also adding that plans are ongoing for the “likely” demolition of the left out building. While nearly 150 people are still missing after the collapse that occurred a week ago, the rescuers reportedly said that the bodies of two children have been found in the rubble of the tower block with the death toll rising to 18.

The latest victims of the incident have not yet been publicly identified. Considering the possible impact on the pile of debris and the effect on search-and-rescue operations, Cava also noted that the decision to demolish the building should be made “extremely carefully and methodically.”

“We will continue to search feverishly, as we have done all along in the parts of the collapse that we currently have access to,” she said.

Joe and Jill Biden visited the devastated community

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also visited the devastated site and console the community. On June 24,  the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside partially went down while it was in between its recertification process that includes several structural and electrical inspections. During the briefing on the same day the rescue operations unfolded, US President said, “This is life and death...We can do it, just the simple act of everyone doing what needs to be done, makes a difference.”

“There’s gonna be a lot of pain and anxiety and suffering and even the need for psychological help in the days and months that follow,” he said. “And so, we’re not going anywhere.”

IMAGE: AP