Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Death Toll at Miami-Area Condo Collapse Site Climbs to 94
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
July 12, 2021

Share

MIAMI — The death toll in the Miami-area condominium collapse climbed to 94 Monday as officials planned to step up security at the site to make sure the personal possessions of the victims are preserved for their families.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said 22 people remain unaccounted for in the June 24 collapse of Champlain Towers South, an oceanside condo building in Surfside. Levine Cava said 83 of the victims have been identified but “the process of making identifications has been made more difficult as time goes on.”

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said officials have decided to increase security around the debris pile to ensure that the site is preserved. Only authorized personnel will be allowed.

“It’s obvious that this has become much more than a collapsed building site,” Burkett said. “It has become a holy site.”

Crews Carefully Recover Property for Family of Victims

Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez III said there has been “no criminality” at the site, but officials want to make sure the area is secure so crews can continue to preserve personal items found in the rubble.

“As families are being notified about their family members, the ask is always about property. People want some sort of connection to their family member, so it’s very important that our process that we have in place continues to flow uninterrupted,” Ramirez said during a morning news conference.

“It’s just part of the process. This is a long, painful, hurtful process,” he said.

Burkett said work crews recently found a business card for an artist and then found several paintings they carefully pulled out of the debris pile to preserve for family members.

Commissioner Tests Positive for COVID-19

Levine Cava also addressed the announcement Sunday that a vaccinated Miami-Dade county commissioner who helped other local officials in Surfside has tested positive for COVID-19. The news release from Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz said he and his chief of staff, Isidoro Lopez, who also received a vaccine against COVID-19, came down with flu-like symptoms earlier in the day and later tested positive for the virus.

Levine Cava said officials who were in close proximity to Diaz and Lopez have been tested and all have come back negative. Levine Cava and other officials who spoke at Monday’s news conference did not wear face masks.

Diaz had participated in news conferences and meetings with other officials in Surfside, the Miami Herald reported.

“Breakthrough” infections — fully vaccinated individuals who contract the coronavirus — do happen, although they are very rare. An Associated Press analysisof government data in May showed only about 1% of such cases resulted in hospitalization or death. The analysis suggested that nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. recently have been in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths could approach zero if every eligible person gets the vaccine.

Last week, Florida health officials reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate compared with other recent weeks

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Fresno State Announces 2024 Graduate Deans’ Medalists

DON'T MISS

Yellen Says Threats to Democracy Risk US Economic Growth, an Indirect Jab at Trump

DON'T MISS

New Sea Route for Gaza Aid on Track. Treating Starving Children Is a Priority

DON'T MISS

At Time of Rising Antisemitism, Holocaust Survivors Take on Denial and Hate in New Digital Campaign

DON'T MISS

FUSD Trustees Name Misty Her as Interim Superintendent. National Search Yet to Start

DON'T MISS

Gov. Newsom Appoints Judges for Fresno, Merced Counties

DON'T MISS

Assemblymember Soria Dodges Questions About Defamation Lawsuit

DON'T MISS

Israel Briefs US on Evacuation Plan for Palestinians Ahead of Planned Rafah Assault

DON'T MISS

Canadian Police Make 3 Arrests in Sikh Separatist’s Slaying That Sparked a Spat with India

DON'T MISS

Three Arrested for Trespassing, Posting Flyers at Fresno Synagogue and Church

UP NEXT

Another State Department Official Resigns Over Biden’s Gaza Policy

UP NEXT

Senators Want Limits on Government’s Use of Facial Recognition Technology for Airport Screening

UP NEXT

Trump Calls Judge ‘Crooked’ After Facing a Warning of Jail Time if He Violates a Trial Gag Order

UP NEXT

The Latest | In Israel, Blinken Pushes Hamas to Agree on Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

UP NEXT

Oklahoma Towns Hard Hit by Tornadoes Begin Long Cleanup After 4 Killed in Weekend Storms

UP NEXT

Blinken Says Israel Must Still Do More to Boost Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

UP NEXT

The Protests Over the Israel-Hamas War Put a Spotlight on College Endowments

UP NEXT

Antony Blinken Meets With China’s President Xi as US, China Spar Over Bilateral and Global Issues

UP NEXT

Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Criminalizing Adults Assisting Minors in Gender-Affirming Care

UP NEXT

Ukraine Uses Long-Range Missiles Secretly Provided by US to Hit Russian-Held Areas, Officials Say

At Time of Rising Antisemitism, Holocaust Survivors Take on Denial and Hate in New Digital Campaign

7 hours ago

FUSD Trustees Name Misty Her as Interim Superintendent. National Search Yet to Start

Local Education /

17 hours ago

Gov. Newsom Appoints Judges for Fresno, Merced Counties

19 hours ago

Assemblymember Soria Dodges Questions About Defamation Lawsuit

19 hours ago

Israel Briefs US on Evacuation Plan for Palestinians Ahead of Planned Rafah Assault

20 hours ago

Canadian Police Make 3 Arrests in Sikh Separatist’s Slaying That Sparked a Spat with India

20 hours ago

Three Arrested for Trespassing, Posting Flyers at Fresno Synagogue and Church

21 hours ago

As They Search for a Superintendent, Fresno Trustees Flunk Econ 101

21 hours ago

Universities Negotiate End to Protests, Open Dialogue on Investment Policies

22 hours ago

Fresno Approves Hydrogen Contract for New Buses. How Far is the Filling Station?

23 hours ago

Fresno State Announces 2024 Graduate Deans’ Medalists

Fresno State on Friday announced the 2024 Graduate Deans Medalists. The eight schools and colleges at Fresno State, along with the Division ...

5 hours ago

5 hours ago

Fresno State Announces 2024 Graduate Deans’ Medalists

6 hours ago

Yellen Says Threats to Democracy Risk US Economic Growth, an Indirect Jab at Trump

7 hours ago

New Sea Route for Gaza Aid on Track. Treating Starving Children Is a Priority

7 hours ago

At Time of Rising Antisemitism, Holocaust Survivors Take on Denial and Hate in New Digital Campaign

Local Education /
17 hours ago

FUSD Trustees Name Misty Her as Interim Superintendent. National Search Yet to Start

19 hours ago

Gov. Newsom Appoints Judges for Fresno, Merced Counties

19 hours ago

Assemblymember Soria Dodges Questions About Defamation Lawsuit

20 hours ago

Israel Briefs US on Evacuation Plan for Palestinians Ahead of Planned Rafah Assault

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend