Florida Building Collapse: Remains of Condo Demolished; Search and Rescue to Continue
Authorities successfully demolished the remains of the collapsed Florida condo that killed at least 24 individuals, with 121 still missing. CBS News reported that the building was brought down by the authorities around 10:30 in the evening of Sunday.
NBC News reported that officials thought it would take them weeks before the remaining parts of the Florida building collapse can be taken down. However, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava signed an order to demolish the remaining parts of the Florida condo, arguing that the building possessed a threat to health and public safety.
READ NEXT: Florida Condo Collapse: Woman's Voice Heard by Rescuers at the Site
Before the demolition, Levine Cava noted that nearby residents of the Florida building collapse would be given advanced notice, so that they can remain inside their places with closed windows and doors to prevent falling debris from going into their homes. Furthermore, the Miami-Dade mayor also noted that the nearby residents would also be asked to turn off the air conditioning units to avoid dust from entering their homes.
Mayor Levine Cava noted that the authorities utilized a method called "energetic felling." The said method uses a series of small explosions and relies on gravity to bring the structure down. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed with NBC News that the state would cover all the expenses of the Florida condo demolition.
Pet Owners Seek to Delay Condo Demolition
Although the Florida building collapse was demolished by the authorities, New York Post reported that pet owners who resided in the site signed a petition to delay the said flattening of the building. Citing a report, the outlet noted that almost 4,300 signatures were gathered to stop the demolition.
Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation Director Dahlia Kanes emphasized that their organization believed that at least several dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and parakeets were still stuck in the rubble.
However, Mayor Levine Cava announced that their search and rescue teams did not find any animals even though rescuers used cameras to locate them.
"They were aware [of the animals] and doing everything they might do just to make an additional search," Levine Cava said. The Miami-Dade mayor also emphasized that rescuers can't search on-site because they can't go inside the units.
Florida Building Collapse: Search and Rescue to Continue
The demolition of the collapsed Florida condo would also allow authorities to expand their search and rescue operations. Mayor Levine Cava highlighted the importance of the demolition on the Florida condo because it will allow "first responders to continue safely searching for the victims. Officials noted that search and rescue operations can resume sometime between 15 and 60 minutes after the demolition.
"As soon as the building is down, and once the site is deemed secure, they'll be back on the pile to immediately resume their work," Levine Cava said.
It can be remembered that the search and rescue operations were halted on Saturday, as the preparation for the Florida condo's demolition included "drilling" on the columns of the building's safe structure.
Levine Cava expressed that an all-clear will be issued as soon as possible due to Tropical Storm Elsa's nearing in the state, which according to NBC news may cause another halt in search and rescue operations for the remaining victims of the Florida condo collapse.
WATCH: Remainder of Florida Condo Building Demolished- From CBS News