‘Layer by layer.’ See the painstaking work of search crews at site of collapsed condo
Slow and steady.
Miami Dade Fire Rescue posted a glimpse into what the search-and-rescue crews are going through at the Surfside disaster site.
On the scene: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Florida Task Force 1 and seven other Florida task force teams, plus the Israeli Task Force.
They “continue to move forward in the search and rescue efforts at the Champlain Towers building collapse in Surfside,” reads the caption with a collection of heart-breaking pictures.
“Nobody is stopping,” Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis told WSVN-Channel 7 Wednesday morning of the workers’ 12-hour shifts.
You can see the meticulous, painstakingly intense labor involved. One man is digging with a shovel, another picks up a piece of concrete and dumps it into a Home Depot bucket, another digs into the mass pile with a gloved hand. All are wearing gas masks, long-sleeve shirts, heavy boots and helmets in scorching temperatures.
“The teams are searching layer by layer of debris, with approximately 3 million pounds of concrete removed from the debris field since Thursday,” the post continues. “All local and federal resources and assets available are being utilized. Using a grid system, the task force teams are using sonar and video equipment, and search and rescue canines to locate void spaces.”
As families of the missing wait for news, as of Wednesday, 16 people have been declared dead in Thursday’s disaster. More than 140 people remain unaccounted for as rainy weather continues in the area.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 12:37 PM.
