Skip to main content
Global Edition
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Death toll in Florida building collapse rises to 22

Duration: 01:20s 0 shares 11 views

Death toll in Florida building collapse rises to 22
Death toll in Florida building collapse rises to 22

The death toll rose to 22 on Friday from the collapse of a Florida condominium tower after the remains of four more victims were found in the rubble, and local officials ordered a second residential complex evacuated after deeming it unsafe.

Gloria Tso reports.

More bodies have been found in the rubble of last week's condominium collapse near Miami, Florida as the search for survivors wears on.

Nobody has been pulled alive from the ruins since the early hours of the disaster, when the 12-story Champlain Towers South tower crumbled in the town of Surfside.

Around two dozen people have been confirmed dead so far, including a 7-year-old girl, and over 120 remain unaccounted for.

Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava announced Friday she had authorized demolition of the rest of the building - as safety concerns suspended search and rescue the day prior.

"This afternoon I signed an emergency order authorizing the demolition of the building in the interest of public health and safety, as soon as engineers sign off on the next steps to begin the demolition process." All residents of the nearby Crestview Towers were also ordered to evacuate on Friday after engineers found serious concrete and electrical problems. Adding to the urgency of search and rescue efforts is Hurricane Elsa, which could strike South Florida within days.

Investigators have still not determined what caused the 40-year-old condo complex to cave in, in one of the deadliest building collapses in U.S. history.

You might like

Related news coverage

Advertisement

More coverage