Surfside condo collapse death toll rises to 79, with 61 still missing

The death toll in a Surfside, Florida condo collapse rose to 79 on Friday, with 61 people still missing for 16 days after the disaster.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the discovery of 15 victims in one day “heartbreaking”, adding that recovery workers “were moving urgently” to end the families of those still missing.

“Everyone who has passed away… leaves loved ones behind. They are leaving devastated families behind. The magnitude of this tragedy grows every day, ”Levine Cava said at an evening press conference.

“We know there will be long term impacts for teams on the front line,” said Levine Cava. “They gave so much of themselves in those first two weeks.”

Officials said they added peer support staff for rescue workers and rescue workers in Florida and other states who were working at the site.

No survivors have been found since the first hours after the collapse of a large part of the South Champlain Towers on the morning of June 24.

“It’s important for us to speak up,” Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said of the grueling 24/7 recovery mission.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an order suspending the payment of property taxes for residents of the apartment building whose homes have been destroyed or demolished, as city and state officials pledged financial assistance to the families of the victims.

Authorities are launching a grand jury investigation into the cause of the disaster, as at least six families have filed lawsuits.

The precise cause of the collapse remains unclear, but an engineer reported “major structural damage” reportedly overlooked by city building officials in 2019.

On Thursday, the Paraguayan Foreign Minister announced that the body of a sister of the country’s first lady, Sophia López Moreira, her husband and one of her children were among the victims found in the rubble.

A cat that lived on the ninth floor of the collapsed apartment was miraculously found alive wandering through the rubble on Friday, according to WSVN.

“It’s a little sunshine for the family,” Maria Gaspari, animal advocate and friend of the cat’s owners, told the station. “It’s good news in the midst of all this madness and sadness. It brings hope, and we need it.

With post wires