Collapsed condo to be demolished in Miami amid storm fears

Rescue crews made way for demolition teams at the site of a collapsed condo in south Florida as officials shifted their focus to bringing down the unstable remainder of the structure ahead of a tropical storm.

The search and rescue mission was suspended on Saturday so workers could begin the precarious business of boring holes to hold explosives in the concrete of the still-standing portion of the Champlain Towers South tower in Surfside, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told relatives awaiting word on missing loved ones.

Jadallah said the suspension was a necessary safety measure because the drilling could cause the structure to fail. If that were to happen, he said, "It's just going to collapse without warning."

While the demolition operation carried risks, officials said it could not be avoided with Tropical Storm Elsa looming in the Caribbean and forecast to hit the state early tomorrow. The storm heightened concerns that the remaining structure could fall, endangering the crews below and complicating the search.

The confirmed death toll from the June 24 collapse stood at 24, but 121 people were still unaccounted for. The Miami-Dade Police Department on Saturday added Graciela Cattarossi, 48, and Gonzalo Torre, 81, to the list of those confirmed dead.

"We have a building here in Surfside that is tottering. It is structurally unsound," Governor Ron DeSantis said. "And although the eye of the storm is not likely to pass over this direction, you could feel gusts in this area."

Miami-Dade police will go door-to-door to evacuate residents in surrounding buildings in advance of the demolition.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said officials would resume the search and rescue effort on any sections of the pile that are "safe to access as soon as we are cleared."

Once the structure is demolished, the remnants will be removed immediately with the intent of giving rescuers access for the first time to parts of the garage area that are a focus of interest, Jadallah said. That could give a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.