First responders sifting through the rubble of a collapsed Florida building have not found any “liveable spaces” in the ruins, officials acknowledged Tuesday.
“We’re definitely searching. Unfortunately, we’re not seeing anything positive that continues in that sense,” Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said at a morning press briefing.
“The key things we are looking for all throughout in regards to void space, liveable spaces, we’re not coming across that,” he said.
“So, we’re actively searching as aggressive as we can to see if we can assist with the families and locate individuals,” Cominsky said.
Asked if there were plans to turn the 13-day-old search from a rescue mission to find survivors to a recovery effort for just bodies, the chief said authorities are “having different dialogues.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of first responders continue sifting through the debris from Champlain Tower South, which collapsed early June 24, burying nearly 150 people underneath.
Officials said search teams continue to look for survivors despite quickly diminishing hopes, with 32 now confirmed dead and 113 still unaccounted for.
No survivors have been found since the collapse.
The digging intensified after the unstable remaining portion of the building was demolished Sunday night, with 5 million pounds of concrete removed from the site to date.
However, gusting winds and rain from Tropical Storm Elsa, which is fast approaching the Sunshine State, have begun to hamper search efforts, said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.