The death toll from building collapse in Florida rises to 28, of which 117 are missing Reuters

Francisco Alvarado

Surfside, Fla. (Reuters)-The death toll from the collapse of an apartment in the Miami area on Monday rose to 28 after officials said controlling the demolition of the rest of the building on Sunday night to allow rescuers to expand the search range.

The discovery of the 28th victim was announced at a press conference on Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, officials reported that three other bodies were pulled from the wreckage.

Eleven days after the collapse of a 12-story residential building in Surfside, Florida, another 117 people were missing, prompting search and rescue operations to proceed almost around the clock due to bad weather and dangerous movement and demolition of rubble.

In the early morning of June 24, about half of the apartment buildings collapsed. Rescuers stayed away from the unstable half and stood for their own safety.

Tropical Storm Elsa in the Caribbean also threatened to blow down the wreckage, so officials ordered the demolition of the building, and the demolition crew placed bombs at enough weak points to trigger another collapse.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters: “After the building was demolished, the search and rescue team was able to search all parts of the collapsed power grid.”

Although the latest forecast predicts that the Surfside area may avoid storms on the projected route from Cuba to the north, sporadic showers and thunderstorms are forecast.

In a seaside town near Miami Beach, Florida, no one has been rescued from piles of powdery concrete, shredded wood, and twisted metal since the early hours of the disaster.

But officials publicly expressed their hope to find more survivors, no matter how far away they may seem, while rotating staff of local and international experts take turns to screen debris.

“I am in awe of… the men and women of the task force who have continued to bravely face the dangers and changing conditions. For 12 days, fire, smoke, and now wind and heavy rain-they are continuing their mission and searching the collapsed area,” Levin Kava said.

“Really, they live to save lives,” she said.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett stated that the site is now “busier and more active” compared to when the rescue operation began.

Investigators have not yet determined what caused the 40-year-old building complex to collapse. A 2018 engineering report found structural flaws that are now the focus of investigations including grand jury reviews.