Condo Collapse: 9 Dead, 152 Unaccounted For; Meticulous Search Of Rubble Continues
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The number of confirmed deaths remained at 9 Sunday evening in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said progress was made in the search and rescue mission.
The mayor said they had identified 4 additional victims. She said the number of those unaccounted for is 152.
According to Miami-Dade police the victims are Leon Oliwkowicz, 80; Christina Beatriz Elvira, 74; Luis Andres Bermudez, 26; Anna Ortiz, 46.
The first four victims to be named were Stacie Dawn Fang, 54; Antonio Lozano, 83 and Gladys Lozano, 79; and Manuel LaFont, 54.
There are 134 people accounted for, which includes the nine deaths.
152 people are still unaccounted for.
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She also said families of the missing were allowed to visit the site of the collapsed condo.
"We are cutting a deep trench to assists us. It is now 125 feet in length into the pile. It is 20 feet wide and 40 feet deep. This trench is very critical to the continuation of the search and rescue process," said Levine Cava.
The mayor said crews worked all night on the trench.
"As a result of that we were able to recover four additional bodies in the rubble, as well as additional human remains. As of today one victim passed away in the hospital and we recovered eight victims on site," said Levine Cava.
Rescue crews are doing DNA tests with family members to identify the victims.
Meanwhile, search teams continue to pick through the rubble, looking for signs of life.
"We have six to eight squads that are on the pile actively searching at any given time. Hundreds of team members are on standby to rotate as we need a fresh start," said Levine Cava.
"I want to thank all the search and rescue teams for their tireless efforts. They've stepped up to the plate and have not stopped during this whole time," said Governor Ron DeSantis.
WATCH: Sunday morning update on Surfside condo collapse search and rescue operation
Levine Cava said families whose loved ones were in the building are receiving updates several times a day.
A stubborn fire in the rubble hampered search efforts on Saturday. It has since been contained.
Additional crews from southwest Florida, central Florida, and Hillsborough County have been brought in to assist with the search. A search team from Israel is also on site.
"One of the questions from the residents was pretty poignant. They wanted to know if the Israeli team thought that the Miami-Dade team had been doing the right thing. The commander from the Israeli team did not hesitate to say they would be doing exactly the same thing, which was a beautiful validation of the state of the art techniques and the integrity, energy, enthusiasm, and dedication we have with our team members here," said Surfside Mayor Gary Burkett.
"I want to share how grateful we all are here in Surfside, in Miami-Dade County, for the entire world reaching out, caring about what happens to us here. We feel your love, we hear your prayers. This means so much to us and to the families," said Levine Cava.
The governor also thanked the community for stepping up.
"We have huge amounts of money that have been pledged, that have been donated. There are going to be folks that are displaced, whose lives have been shattered as a result of this, and so to see people coming together to support their fellow Floridians, and actually, some are not even Floridians but are still part of the family down here. We really appreciate it," said DeSantis.
County Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz said once they understand what caused the building to collapse, there will be legislation to make sure it never happens again.
A reunification center has been set up for anyone looking for unaccounted or missing relatives at the Grand Beach Hotel, at 9449 Collins Avenue. People can also call (305) 614-1819.
