Florida building collapse: Search and rescue suspended as demolition begins

The search and rescue mission at the collapsed Florida condo has been suspended to make way for the demolition crew to take down the remainder of the building.

Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said on Saturday that rescuers have stopped their search and the demolition crews began boring holes into the concrete of the still-standing portion of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, the Associated Press reported.

Jadallah added that the rescue work had to stop as a necessary safety measure because the drilling could cause the structure to collapse.

“It’s just going to collapse without warning,” AP quoted Jadallah as saying.

Earlier in the day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had said that the building in Surfside was structurally unsound and demolishing it was the prudent thing to do with tropical Storm Elsa is forecasted to move toward the state in the coming days.

“If the building is taken down, this will protect our search and rescue teams, because we don’t know when it could fall over. And, of course, with these gusts, potentially that would create a really severe hazard,” AP quoted DeSantis as saying.

The death toll in the tragedy has gone up to 24 and 124 people are still unaccounted for, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Officials hope that even though the demolition would temporarily suspend the search operations in the area, it will be for a short while. Some of the families that lived in the building had asked for permission to be able to return for retrieving personal belongings, but they have been denied any such permission.

DeSantis has also declared a state of emergency due to the incoming storm.