On Tuesday crews dug through the pulverized concrete, where once stood Champlain Towers South in Surfside. They filled buckets that were then passed down a line and emptied.
Eight more people died in the search as a result of the video released by Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department. This is the highest number of deaths reported since the start. The search was also disrupted by rain and wind from Tropical storm Elsa, but the storm was still on course to make its way across the state.
Although searchers found no signs of survivors, authorities stated that their mission was to find people alive. However, it sounded more somber.
Freddy Ramirez (the county’s police chief) stated that “Right now we’re going into search and rescue mode.” He spoke at a press conference on Tuesday evening. He quickly added, “Our primary goal right away is to bring closure for the families.”
Since the initial hours following the building’s collapse on June 24, when many of its residents had fallen asleep, no one has been rescued from this site.
According to Alan Cominsky, the county’s fire chief and search chief, the searchers are still searching for open areas within the rubble mounds where additional survivors might be located.
He said, “Unfortunately we aren’t seeing anything positive.”
Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade’s Mayor, stated that the families of the missing are preparing for the news of “tragic Loss.” He also mentioned that President Joe Biden called Tuesday to continue his support.
She stated, “I believe everyone will be ready when the time comes to move on to the next phase.”
The site was open to reporters Tuesday. However, it was only the part of the building that workers removed Sunday after it collapsed. It was still standing, but it was dangerously unstable. The pile of broken concrete and twisted metal was approximately 30 feet (9 m) high and roughly equals the length of a football pitch. The pile was covered in rubble, so a pair of backhoes removed it.
Search efforts were hampered by severe weather caused by Elsa. Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah stated that rescuers were forced to stop their work for two hours Tuesday morning due to lightning. Officials stated that heavy debris was not being moved with cranes due to winds up to 20 mph (32 km/h).
