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With Storm Looming, Remaining Portion Of Surfside Building Will Be Demolished Soon

In this photo provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, search and rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., on Friday.
AP
In this photo provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, search and rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., on Friday.

Officials announced the decision to demolish the upright portion of the doomed Champlain Towers South building on Saturday.

With a tropical storm headed toward South Florida, the upright portion of the doomed Champlain Towers South building will be demolished within days to allow rescue crews to eventually resume searching the site safely, officials said.

“This will protect our search and rescue teams. We don’t know when it could fall over,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference on Saturday. “With these gusts that would create a real severe hazard.”

The announcement Saturday morning came more than a week after the Champlain Towers South building collapsed in the middle of the night, killing at least 22 people and leaving over 120 still missing. Since the June 24 collapse, rescue crews from across the nation and world have been struggling to find survivors and bodies in the concrete and metal remains of the 12-story building.

Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.
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Martin Vassolo
David Ovalle
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