OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:51 PM PT – Sunday, July 4, 2021
Miami officials have made plans to move forward with demolishing the remaining structure of the mostly collapsed Surfside condo in Florida. During a press conference on Sunday, officials announced the demolition was set to take place between 10 p.m. on Sunday and 3 a.m. on Monday.
Workers on the site have been drilling into columns of the structure, where explosive charges will be inserted to bring the building down. Officials reported search and rescue would resume operations in the matter of minutes once given the all clear. The number of deaths stands at 24, with 121 people still missing.
#UPDATE 51: The demolition of Champlain Towers South will take place tonight between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.
We urge residents who live in the Shelter in Place Zone – between 86th St and 89th St and Abbott Ave and the shoreline – to stay indoors effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/AWWMuJpXSe
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) July 4, 2021
“The method of demolition is known as energetic felling. It’s a process that uses small, strategically placed explosives and relies on gravity to bring the building down in place,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (D) explained. “The demolition itself is confined to the immediate area around the building.”
As a precautionary measure, officials have urged residents in the immediate vicinity to remain indoors during the hours of demolition. Cava warned of dust and various other particles to impact the area as a result of the remaining structure being brought down.
Meanwhile, as demolition efforts are taking place ahead of a tropical storm, officials say impacts in Western Florida could begin by late Monday.
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