At least 10 more bodies have been pulled from the rubble of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, Miami-Dade County officials announced Wednesday, raising the death toll to 46.
The families were informed in a private meeting with Miami-Dade County Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah, who added that 32 of the 46 victims have been identified, USA Today reported.
The families were also told that the mission would now shift from rescue to recovery; a devastating announcement. Jadallah told the families that after searching all areas of the debris, officials conclude it will be next to impossible at this point to find anyone alive.
With that announcement, more heavy equipment was seen arriving at the site to intensify recovery efforts.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters at a news briefing that 94 people remain unaccounted for.
The building inexplicably collapsed on June 24, leaving one tower of the complex still standing, but in a dangerously unstable condition.
The second tower was demolished in a controlled explosion this past Sunday, which enabled search and rescue crews to access areas of the pile they were previously unable to reach.
Search and rescue crews – including a 15 member Israeli delegation of expert engineers with search and rescue professionals – have continued their efforts around the clock, including through the intensely difficult conditions created by the outer bands Tropical Storm Elsa, which passed through the area earlier this week.
