The collapse of the Champlain Tower in Surfside, Florida, last week has killed at least 22 people and left 126 unaccounted for, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a press conference Friday.
Driving the news: A Miami-Dade fire official told family members of individuals missing in the rubble that rescue workers plan to demolish the remainder of the building on Sunday, AP reports.
- Raide Jadallah, the assistant chief of operations for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, told family members during a Saturday morning briefing that the building would be brought down “as soon as possible. First thing tomorrow,” per AP.
- Levine Cava on Friday signed an emergency order to allow engineers to demolish the wing of the Champlain Tower that remains standing.
What they're saying: "The building poses a threat to public health and safety, and bringing it down as quickly as possible is critical to protect our community," Levine Cava said.
The big picture: Search and rescue efforts were paused Thursday because of structural concerns about the standing portion of the building.
- Officials at the site are preparing for the potential impact of Hurricane Elsa, which may hit Florida early next week.
- Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Alan Cominsky said Friday evening that six members of a Florida-based search and rescue team had tested positive for COVID-19, CNN reports.
- "So we do have our medical procedures in place, you know, unfortunately, this is another challenge but something that we've been dealing with for over the past year," Cominsky said during the press conference.
Go deeper: Remembering the victims of the Surfside condo collapse
Editor's note: This story will be updated as new information is released.
