In the face of a tropical storm, Miami authorities demolished what was left of the collapsed building

Prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa, authorities demolished the rest of the structure of the Champlain Towers South Building in Surfside, near Miami Beach, which collapsed on June 24, leaving at least 24 dead and 121 missing.

The controlled explosion took place after 11:30 p.m. (Argentine time). The objective was to demolish what was left of the building before the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa in Florida, scheduled for Tuesday and that it was feared that this would cause uncontrolled landslides in the ruins of the complex.

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The search for survivors was suspended on Saturday to complete preparations to demolish what remains of the collapsed building mid-morning on Thursday, June 24.

After the demolition, it is expected that the rescue work will resume.

Families have been informed in advance

Ray Jadallah, chief of operations for the Miami-Dade Fire Department, said the decision to demolish what was left of the building was previously communicated to the families of the missing.

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“The demolition will help us to continue the research. This part of the building that is still standing has hampered the work of first responders in this area, ”said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

With Tropical Storm Elsa threatening the Caribbean and predicting it would hit the state in the next few days, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Surfside building was “unstable” and “structurally weak,” so demolition was the order of the day. good thing to do. .

How did the demolition go?

The demolition was carried out with small bangs in various places of the building structure. Local authorities had previously established a perimeter to secure the area.

The team in charge of the operation drilled several holes in the support columns of the first and second floors of the building and placed explosives.

This is the second time that rescuers have interrupted rescue efforts. Last Thursday at dawn, they were suspended due to the risk of landslides, but 15 hours later, the tasks resumed.

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After the controlled demolition, rescuers will be able to access new uninspected areas on the west side and in the underground garage.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, said the decision to demolish the ruins of the complex was made by structural engineers.

The fear is that the tropical storm Elsa it can wreak havoc during its passage in Florida and especially uncontrolled collapses in what remains of the building.