SURFSIDE, Fla. — The final victim of last month’s deadly partial condo building collapse in Surfside has been identified, raising the death toll to 98.
Estelle Hedaya’s brother confirmed the 54-year-old’s death to The Associated Press on Monday, three days after crews confirmed they had ended their search of the rubble.
“She always mentioned God anytime she was struggling with anything,” Estelle Hedaya’s younger brother, Ikey Hedaya, told the AP. “She had reached a different level spiritually, which allowed her to excel in all other areas.”
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Family members remembered Estelle Hedaya as an outgoing woman who loved to travel.
The 12-story Champlain Towers South partially collapsed in the predawn hours of June 24, as many of the building’s residents were sleeping. Authorities said 55 of the building’s 136 units collapsed during the incident.
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Since then, officials have identified 98 people who died as a result of the collapse, including Hedaya and a person who died at a hospital. Authorities said last week that they had accounted for 242 people reported missing in the wake of the incident.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
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