After the demolition of the remains of the building, how the search for victims of the Miami collapse continues

Lifeguards received the green light on Sunday to continue the search for the victims landslide in South Florida, after demolition crews will place explosives to demolish the rest of the structure.

The demolition took place “exactly as planned” around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Some of the new debris was immediately removed so rescuers could begin moving around areas of the underground parking lot of particular interest..

One time over there, they hope to get a clearer picture of the gaps in the rubble and where some of the 121 people believed to have been trapped by the collapse could be from the South Champlain Tower to Surfside on June 24 and would still remain between the concrete blocks.

No one has been saved alive since the first hours after the accident. Miami-Dade County Police on Sunday identified David Epstein, 58, as one of 24 documented deaths in the landslide. His remains were found on Friday.

The proximity of tropical storm Elsa This had added urgency to the demolition plans, as forecasts pointed to strong winds in the area on Monday. There were concerns that the damaged structure could fall, endangering rescuers and preventing them from working in some areas. Part of the remaining building was moved Thursday, forcing work to be suspended for 15 hours.

Among the missing are dozens of Latin Americans from Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Levine pointed out that “Demolishing the building in a controlled manner” was “essential to extend” the excavation operation, because the teams had not been able to deepen it further due to the risk of landslides.

Demolition

State officials said they hired BG Group, a general contractor based in Delray Beach, Fla., To lead the demolition. No details were known about how the company was selected, but a contract for the project requires the state to pay the company $ 935,000.

A spokesperson for the state’s Emergency Management Division said the company had contracted out Controlled Demolition Inc. based in Maryland, which experts say is one of the few companies in the United States to demolish structures with explosives. The company was required to place explosives in the basement and hall level of the still standing structure, according to the contract for the work.

CDI is “probably one of the best” in the business, said Steve Schwartz, board member for the National Demolition Association. He described the president and owner of the company, Mark Loizeaux, as “cold, calm and serene”.

In implosions – the use of explosives to knock a building down on itself – charges are usually activated in rapid succession within seconds, said Scott Homrich, who heads the National Demolition Association and owns his own demolition business. in Detroit. , Michigan. Activating explosives at intervals serves to break the building as it collapses.

Residents’ requests

Some locals had begged be able to return home one last time before the demolition to collect their belongings They had left in a hurry, but were refused. Others questioned the pets left behind, though officials said they found no signs of animals after performing three last scans, including using drones to spy on the abandoned structure .

Levine Cava said officials have been discussing their decisions with survivors since the search and rescue efforts began.

“We understand that families realize that time has passed, they realize that the possibilities are less and less“He said on” Today. “” They are with us, they know what we have been doing at all times. “

The mayor also said teams are trying to keep as many personal items as possible. “We asked them to go and catalog all of their valuables so that as soon as they are recovered, we can make a comparison.”

President Joe Biden attended the scene Thursday, meeting with relatives of the victims, who improvised a memorial on wire mesh covered with photos of the dead and missing and decorated with flowers and candles.

Although the hypothesis of a failure in the maintenance of the building has been raised, there is still no clear answer on the cause of the collapse. “We don’t have strong evidence as to what happened,” Biden said Thursday, noting that there were “a number of questions.” Among them, he mentioned the maintenance and structure of the building, the nearby construction sites and the rising waters.

A 2018 report released by city officials revealed fears of “major structural damage” to the complex, from the concrete slab under the pool deck to the columns and beams in the parking lot.

(With information from the AP and AFP)

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