[UPDATE] Florida Building Collapse Search and Rescue Shifts to Recovery
The Florida building collapse search and rescue operation shifted to recovery on Wednesday evening, as authorities argued that there was "no chance of life" left in the rubble of the tragedy.
Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah confirmed that their "sole responsibility" is to provide closure to the family of the victims, as their decision reflects the ending of hope in finding any survivors on June 24's tragedy in Florida, USA Today reported.
The transition of search and rescue efforts to recovery was announced by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levina Cava in a late-afternoon news conference. Levine Cava noted that the shift would start at midnight, after a ceremony and a moment of silence for the victim of the collapsed Florida condo.
Florida Building Collapse Rescue Switches to Recovery; Workers Says "No Chance of Life"
Rescuers and workers concluded that the collapsed condo showed no signs of life. According to Associated Press, Jadallah noted that, unlike other collapses, the "pancake collapse" by the Florida building would not leave livable spaces.
"Where a pancake collapses, unfortunately, it is a floor or a wall on top of a floor, on top of a floor, on top of a floor," Jadallah said. The assistant fire chief also noted that individuals "have a specific amount of time" when it comes to lack of food, water, and air. However, Jadallah noted that the pancake collapse would not provide "any of that sort."
The recovery efforts would make the emergency teams remove rescue dogs and sound devices at the site of the collapse. However, officials noted that they would continue to search through the debris for the remaining bodies of the victims.
Mayor Levine Cava noted that they exhausted "every option available" in terms of search-and-rescue operations.
"We have all asked God for a miracle, so the decision to transition from rescue to recovery is an extremely difficult one," Levine Cava noted.
Furthermore, experts disclosed that the shift from rescue to recovery also involved a handful of factors, such as "weighing the safety of the rescuers against the possibility of finding survivors.
Florida Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 54 While 86 Still Unaccounted
As the rescue efforts switched to recovery, the death toll of the Florida building collapse rose to 54 while 86 are still unaccounted. The announcement on the surge of dead victims was also announced by Mayor Levine Cava, saying that 32 of the victims were identified, and their families were already notified about the discovery.
Levine Cava also lauded the efforts of the rescuers, saying that they "searched for void spaces to look for victims" as well as using sonar, cameras, dogs, and heavy machinery in their rescue efforts for the last 14 days. The Miami-Dade mayor also noted that the workers removed at least seven million pounds of concrete and debris from the site.
Despite the rescue efforts, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday that it was still unclear if the flaws in the structure were unique to the collapsed condo. DeSantis also noted that residents of the state are grieving deeply, and that the state would not be the same after the Florida building collapse.
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Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH:Search of Collapsed Condo Shifts to Recovery Operation - From Associated Press