Condo Collapse: Miami-Dade Police to Resume Search Efforts at Surfside Building Collapse Site



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Miami-Dade firefighters were in charge of the site for the now-leveled residential building in the South Florida community. But that is changing, according to a press release from the office of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, allowing the police department to fully intervene.

“The operation is ongoing and the MDPD will continue to search the debris pile for both human remains and personal items until they have completed a full additional search for the debris,” the statement said. hurry.

So far, authorities have identified 97 victims who died in the collapse. Of those victims, 96 were recovered from the site of the collapse and one died in hospital, Miami-Dade County officials said on Wednesday.

The most recent victim has been identified as Linda March, 58. The county said it believed there was still one victim.

He did not name the person, but on Friday the family of Estelle Hedaya, 54, told CNN she was the latest victim.

“The hardest part is seeing my parents like this day in and day out,” her brother, Ikey Hedaya, told CNN. “I just want my sister to be at peace and receive the honor and respect she deserves.”

General view of the land where the partially collapsed building of the Tours Champlain Sud was located on July 23, 2021.

The firefighters were superheroes, according to the mayor

Part of the South Champlain Towers collapsed in the wee hours of June 24 while many residents were sleeping. Some locals described the terror of feeling the rumble and seeing the cracks in the walls. Others did not make it.

The mayor noted that Miami-Dade firefighters have been on the scene since this morning.

“These are true superheroes who have come together to serve this community in the aftermath of an unprecedented disaster – not only by leading the search, rescue and recovery operation, but through care and the compassion they have shown to all families, doing all they can to end those who have lost loved ones, ”said Levine Cava.

“We are also very grateful to the Miami-Dade Police Department for leading the investigation from the start, and now continuing the hard work of continuing to sift through millions of pounds of debris, search for remains and personal items. to end families, ”added the mayor.

A month after the tragedy, the site is largely cleaned up and the debris has been moved to another site, with over 22 million pounds of debris removed.
Surfside victims will not be asked to donate their real estate for the public good, judge says

Authorities said the search will not end until all loved ones are recovered.

“We continue to look very carefully and diligently and work closely hand in hand with religious leaders as we have done since the beginning of this process,” said Levine Cava.

The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, which will begin fully upon completion of the research.

Florida State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle acknowledged “multiple requests from engineers and lawyers” to access the site.

“I understand that once NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology), the Miami-Dade Fire Department and Miami-Dade Police Department determine that it is safe and appropriate for others to access the site, they will be allowed to do so according to guidelines established by those agencies, ”said Rundle.

CNN’s Andy Rose and Deanna Hackney contributed to this report.

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