President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit Surfside on Thursday as crews continue searching for survivors in the debris left by the collapse last week of the Champlain Towers South condo building, White House officials announced Tuesday.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the president will meet with families affected by the building collapse and with first responders.
“This is so critical that we do have our federal support,” Cava said Tuesday at a news conference. “So, we are very grateful for that, and we know that his support will continue throughout.”
The president approved a federal emergency declaration Friday in Florida, one day after officials said that 55 of the 136 units at the Champlain Towers South building collapsed. Officials said Monday that 11 people have died, and 150 others remained unaccounted for as search efforts continued.
>> Related: Surfside condo collapse: Police ID 3 more victims; official death toll remains 11
Authorities have identified the deceased as: Antonio Lozano, 83; Leon Oliwkowicz, 80; Gladys Lozano, 79; Christina Beatriz Elvira, 74; Frank Kleiman, 55; Stacie Dawn Fang, 54; Manuel LaFont, 54; Marcus Joseph Guara, 52; Michael Davis, 50; Anna Ortiz, 46; and Luis Bermudez, 26.
Correction: The family has updated the apartment number for Manuel LaFont to #801
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) June 27, 2021
#UPDATE 29: We have identified four additional victims that sadly and unexpectedly lost their lives in the tragic Surfside building collapse. Please keep their families and loved ones in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/MKKgXymIuM
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) June 28, 2021
#UPDATE 32: We have identified three additional victims that sadly and unexpectedly lost their lives in the tragic Surfside building collapse. Please keep their families and loved ones in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/y5Grt8vo5t
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) June 29, 2021
Surveillance video obtained by WSVN showed the collapse, which happened around 1:50 a.m. on Thursday.
JUST IN: 7News has obtained surveillance video of the moment the Champlain Towers South Condo collapsed in Surfside early this morning.
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) June 24, 2021
According to a fire official, 35 people were pulled from the collapsed building. Search and rescue efforts ongoing. https://t.co/Ac7KgnJOSO pic.twitter.com/oeczbumRG9
Search crews continue to scour the rubble for signs of survivors. Rescuers are using bucket brigades and heavy machinery as they work atop a precarious mound of pulverized concrete, twisted steel and the remnants of dozens of households. The efforts include firefighters, sniffer dogs and search experts using radar and sonar devices.
Authorities stressed Monday that officials remained in the search-and-rescue phase of operations.
>> Related: Surfside Condo collapse: Had the building been sinking into the sand?
“We’re going to continue and work ceaselessly to exhaust every possible option in our search,” Cava said at a news conference. “Right now, our top priority is (to) search, and rescue, and find people.”
On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis emphasized that authorities would be searching the wreckage and investigating what happened Thursday for “the long-haul.”
“Those first responders are breaking their back(s) trying to find anybody they can, and they are going to continue to do that,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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