Video Shows Demolition of Surfside Tower

The rest of the Florida condo building that collapsed is brought down
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 5, 2021 1:03 AM CDT
Updated Jul 5, 2021 6:35 AM CDT

As Tropical Storm Elsa moves toward Cuba and, soon after that, Florida, what remained of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside was demolished late Sunday. Officials had worried the rest of the building, which partially collapsed June 24, could be brought down by the storm in the wrong direction, on top of the portion where search and rescue teams are continuing to work. After explosives were set off around 10:30pm, the controlled demolition was complete in a few seconds, but people in the area were warned to stay indoors for at least two hours afterward to avoid the potentially harmful dust, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

The mayor said search and rescue efforts would begin again soon after the demolition, Local 10 reports. The official death toll remains at 24, with 121 people unaccounted for. As survivors fled the building after the partial collapse, many left pets behind, the Miami Herald reports. On Sunday morning, the mayor said searchers were looking for animals, but that it was not safe for anyone to enter units beyond the first floor. A Facebook group was tracking the fate of the animals thought to still be in the building. (More Florida condo collapse stories.)

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