Rescuers have lost hope. They now think they only emerge lifeless bodies from the rubble of the building that collapsed in Surfside, Florida on the night of June 24. The search continues even if the chances of finding survivors are “close to zero”, according to Golan Vach, an expert who heads one of the Israeli search teams, interviewed by the channel Local 10. Still provisional, the toll has been rising since Monday to 28 dead and 117 missing.
With the approach of the storm Elsa and the strong winds that it could bring with it, the authorities had chosen to bring down what remained of the building, considered too unstable. The controlled destruction took place late Sunday and went “exactly as planned,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine.
A still unexplained collapse
Only one survivor – a teenager – was extracted from the rubble in the early hours of relief operations. No other survivor has since been found despite the mobilization of rescuers, who came from all over the United States, and even Israel and Mexico. Among those missing were dozens of Latin Americans from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay.
The collapse still remains largely unexplained, although there are questions about the maintenance and structure of the building, construction work nearby and rising waters. A report as early as 2018 noted “major structural damage” as well as “cracks” in the basement of the building, according to documents released by the town of Surfside.