Three bodies were found Monday, July 5 in the rubble of the collapsed building in Florida, bringing the death toll to 27, authorities said, and the search continues even though the chances of finding survivors are "
close to zero
" , according to an official.
Read also: The collapsed building in Florida demolished before the arrival of storm Elsa
Most of the building, named Champlain Towers South, collapsed in the middle of the night on June 24 in Surfside, one of the most serious urban disasters in US history. As Storm Elsa approached and the strong winds it could bring with it, the authorities had chosen to bring down what remained of the building, deemed too unstable. The controlled destruction took place late Sunday and went "
exactly as planned,
" Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine said at a press conference.
“
From 1:00 am (5:00 am GMT), the searches had fully resumed
” and they could be carried out in areas hitherto inaccessible, she added. The bodies of three new victims were found, the death toll now rising to 27 dead and 118 missing. Eleven days after the collapse, the chances of finding survivors are, however, "
close to zero,
" admitted Golan Vach, an expert who heads one of the Israeli research teams present on the spot, interviewed by the Local 10 channel. "
We are trying to 'to be optimistic, but also realistic
,' he added. "
The circumstances we have seen are too difficult to say, in a professional manner, that we think we have a good chance of finding someone alive.
”Golan Vach said.
Only one survivor - a teenager - was extracted from the rubble in the early hours of relief operations.
No other survivor was 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.