The death toll from the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, rose to 24.
At least 121 are still missing under the rubbles.
Mayor Charles Burkett said: “We need to get back to [searching the rubble] as soon as possible. We need to get this building taken down and we need to move forward with the rescue of all those people that are still left in the rubble.
He added: “The intention is to bring the building down in a westward direction so that the debris pile that exists with victims in it is not affected. You know the [approaching storm] is going to turn out to have probably been a blessing in disguise because there’s an area of that mound which we were not able to work in safely. And this demolition is going to open up wide the whole area. And we’re going to be able to pour resources onto that pile.”
The causes of the 40-year-old building collapse remain unclear.
The building contained 136 apartments and 55 of them collapsed, leaving piles of debris.
But, eyewitnesses compared the scene to the 11 September 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers.
On video footage captured from nearby, the centre of the building appeared to fall first, with a section nearest the ocean teetering and coming down seconds later as a huge dust cloud swallowed the neighbourhood.
Different Nationals
Foreign ministries and consulates of four countries said 22 nationals were missing in the collapse: nine from Argentina, six from Paraguay, four from Venezuela and three from Uruguay.
Israel also said that 20 of its citizens are missing in the incident.
Miami-Dade County’s Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah confirmed 55 apartment units on the building’s northeast side had totally collapsed, with 35 people rescued from the rubble.
Solidarity Speech
US President Joe Biden said that the federal government is ready to step in to assist after a building collapsed in Miami.
“We are on top of it. We are ready to move from the federal resources immediately, immediately, if in fact we are asked for it.”
“I say to the people of Florida, whatever help you want that the federal government can provide, we are waiting, just ask us, we’ll be there,” Biden added.
