At least 24 people have died and at least 121 remain unaccounted for following last week’s partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida, according to local officials and multiple news reports.
Officials in Surfside on Sunday said the demolition team is on site and working to prepare the remaining building to come down as soon as possible in order to preserve safe access to the site for rescue workers.
Tropical Storm Elsa is tracking further west but may still bring strong winds and heavy rain to the area early this week, according to the National Weather Service. Miami-Dade County mayor warned that hazardous weather conditions could force search and rescue efforts to pause.
Six firefighters from one of Florida’s search and rescue teams have tested positive for COVID-19 and are being isolated, Miami-Dade County’s fire chief said.
Residents of Crestview Towers in North Miami Beach, a building about 5 miles away from the site of the collapse, were ordered to evacuate on Friday after an audit found it “structurally and electrically unsafe,” according to The Associated Press.
