Death toll rises to 11 in Florida condo collapse


Two more bodies were found in the rubble of a partially collapsed 12-story residential building in Florida on Monday, bringing the confirmed death toll to 11.
The Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside collapsed last Thursday morning, and Monday was the fifth day of search and rescue operations. There are still 150 people unaccounted for, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a Monday press conference that the numbers are "very fluid and they will change." She promised there will be a "thorough and full investigation of what led to this tragic event. We are going to get to the bottom of what happened here. Right now, our top priority is search and rescue."
About 55 of the building's 136 units were destroyed in the collapse, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah said on Monday, adding that rescuers are digging through "rubbles of concrete the size of basketballs, the size of baseballs." Crews haven't been able to make it to the bottom of the pile yet, but Jadallah said cameras that were lowered in show that there are air pockets were people could be trapped. There are more than 80 rescuers working at a time, searching through humidity and rain, and an underground sonar system is also aiding in efforts to find victims.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Champlain Towers South was built in the 1980s, and was undergoing roof work, Surfside officials said. A 2018 structural field survey found the waterproofing below the condo's pool deck and entrance drive was failing and causing "major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas." Read more at ABC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why ‘anti-Islam’ bikers are guarding Gaza aid sites
In The Spotlight Members of Infidels MC, who regard themselves as modern Crusaders, among private security guards at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s void
Feature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War Department
Feature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Florida wages crosswalk war on public displays of pride
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign comes for colorful crosswalks, as Florida residents engage in guerrilla graffiti as a form of resistance
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act