‘CLOSURE’

Authorities in Surfside Collapse Shift to Recovery Operation as Hope for Survivors Dwindles

Families have begun bracing for the news of their deceased loved ones as death toll climbs.

Authorities at the site of the Surfside condo collapse have transitioned from a search and rescue operation to a recovery effort as the prospects of finding survivors continues to dwindle, the Associated Press reports. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah held a private briefing with families to prepare them for the possibility of somber news as rescue dogs and sound devices will no longer be used in search efforts. “Our sole responsibility at this point is to bring closure,” Jadallah said. Officials were optimistic that demolishing the part of the condo that did not collapse would offer rescuers the opportunity to access parts of the building hard to reach after the initial collapse. A total of 46 bodies have been recovered from the site, while 94 remain unaccounted for. No one has been found alive since the first hours after the building collapse.