Miami Building Collapse: Death toll reaches 5; 156 unaccounted for as rescue ops continue

Death toll in Miami condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, has gone up to five, while 156 people remain unaccounted for, Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on Saturday, told the reporters.

Levine Cava said that three out of five victims have been identified and their names are not being released out of respect for the families, CNN reported. According to Levine Cava, officials are depending on DNA testing to define identifications. 

"The process of identifying these victims is very difficult. We're going to rely on DNA testing and that is why we've already been gathering DNA samples from family members. So they have all participated and provided DNA to assist us in the investigation," she said to the media.

This will allow rapid DNA testing, which helped in identifying the three bodies found in the rubble, the Mayor added. According to Cava, there are 130 people accounted for and still 156 who are unaccounted for.

"Our top priority continues to be search and rescue and saving any lives that we can," she said.

Taking to Twitter, the Mayor wrote, "The top priority of every agency on the ground remains the search and rescue operation and saving all the lives we can — with our teams working around the clock. At the same time, it’s critical that we get to the bottom of this tragedy and there will be a full investigation."

Meanwhile, relatives of missing people in the Miami building collapse in Surfside, have called on authorities across Latin America to help track them. 

The Champlain Towers South condominium was a true reflection of Miami’s international mix — South American immigrants, Orthodox Jews, foreign retirees. The 12-story building’s stunning collapse on Thursday quickly became a symbol of international tragedy, as families around the world hoped for news of loved ones in a terrified state of limbo.

Miami Building Collapse

A large oceanfront condo building near Miami Beach partially collapsed on Thursday, prompting a massive search and rescue response as many people are reported missing.

Surprisingly, a 2020 study conducted by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the department of earth and environment at Florida International University, found that the building had been sinking since the 1990s.