Miami condo collapse – Building DEMOLISHED ahead of storm Elsa despite pleas from survivors to save their pets
THE remaining portion of the partially collapsed Miami condo was demolished ahead of storm Elsa last night – despite pleas from survivors to save their pets.
Explosions were heard at about 10.30pm ET before the building started to fall. The move is a key step to resuming the search for victims as rescuers try to gain access to new areas of the rubble.
Officials had urged nearby residents to shelter elsewhere overnight after announcing the demolition.
Workers will now resume their search for the 121 people that are still missing after the Florida condo collapsed on June 24, killing at least 24 people.
Col. Golan Vach, an Israeli search and rescue expert who had been working at the site, said he was doubtful that further survivors would be found.
He told Local10: “I believe right now that the chances are close to zero, unfortunately.”
Survivors had tried to use an emergency court hearing to stop the explosion so they could save their pets.
Miami Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed yesterday rescue crews have carried out multiple sweeps of the building using drones with thermal imaging in a bid to find trapped animals.
Mayor Cava said last night: "The latest information we have is that there are no animals remaining in the building."
It comes as...
- The bodies of a couple married nearly 60 years were found lying together after their family said they're relieved the pair were found together
- Approaching storm Elsa has heightened concerns that the structure could crumble dangerously on its own
- A Miami firefighter found the body of his own daughter while assisting in the search-and-rescue efforts at the site
- Joe Biden met with family members of those missing and killed for more than three hours
- Workers discovered "extensive concrete damage" and suspended repairs nine months ago
- A trapped woman was heard screaming for hours from the rubble
An online petition to stop the demolition had received nearly 4,300 signatures.
But the court motion failed, with a judge saying: "The executive branch has been working tirelessly and has made a herculean effort to do everything within their power to make sure pets have been retrieved."
Miami-Dade police tweeted: "The demolition of Champlain Towers South will take place tonight between 10pm and 3am.
"We urge residents who live in the Shelter in Place Zone – between 86th St and 89th St and Abbott Ave and the shoreline – to stay indoors effective immediately."
Following the demolition, crews began clearing some of the new debris so rescuers could search parts of the underground garage.
That could give a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had earlier said the building is "tottering" and "structurally unsound".
He said: "If the building is taken down, this will protect our search-and-rescue teams because we don’t know when it could fall over.
"And, of course, with these gusts, potentially that would create a really severe hazard."
The search for victims of the Miami condo collapse was suspended on Saturday afternoon.
The decision came after growing concerns that the damaged structure could come tumbling down on its own, endangering the crews below and complicating the search for victims.
Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said the suspension was a necessary safety measure because the drilling of holes to hold the explosives could have caused the unstable structure to fail.
If that were to happen, he said, "it just going to collapse without warning".
A relative of the missing called it "devastating" that the search had to stop.
As yesterday the death toll from the June 24 condo collapse was at least 24 people, and 121 people were still unaccounted for.
Officials yesterday named David Epstein as a victim pulled from the wreckage on Friday. That came two days after the body of his wife, Bonnie Epstein, was also recovered.
Mayor Cava signed an emergency order on Friday to tear down the crumbling remains of Chamberlain Towers South.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Alan Cominsky said the building's stability led to concerns about the more than 300 people who have been working on the search-and-rescue mission.
The concrete slabs of the southern part of the 12-story building, the part that did not collapse, appeared to be moving, Cominsky said.
The movement threatens support columns in the underground parking garage.
Mayor Cava said the decision to tear down the remainder of the building was made in "the interest of public safety" and that the consideration for the impact and timeline are still being worked out with engineers.
The mayor said that the order’s execution helps begin the necessary process and one that she admitted wasn’t "made lightly".
"The building poses a threat to public health and safety," she said.
Rescue crews have been working to locate missing people since the building collapsed in the early hours of June 24.
At least six firefighters working at the site have tested positive for Covid-19, according to reports on Saturday.
No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the June 24 collapse.Elsa was forecast to hit the area today.
It was downgraded Saturday from a category one hurricane to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.
Mayor Cava said that the storm was being monitored and that "depending on the strength of wind" there may be some interruptions with the rescue and recovery effort.
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