NewsNational

Actions

Death toll in Surfside condo collapse rises to 97

Building Collapse Miami
Posted at 2:48 PM, Jul 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-22 14:48:47-04

Late Wednesday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that the death toll in the Surfside condo collapse climbed to 97.

97 victims have been identified, with 96 of those victims recovered from the collapse site and one who died in the hospital, officials said in a statement.

Levina Cava added that 97 families had been notified, and 242 people are accounted for.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Levina Cava said, "May God watch over all those who mourn this enormous loss, & over our Surfside community.”

On Wednesday, officials also released the names of the two additional victims: 24-year-old Anastasia Gromova and Linda March, 58.

It's been nearly a month since the Champlain Towers South partially collapsed, with officials saying Wednesday that the debris from the site has been relocated to a different site.

"The first responders are now conducting additional searches of the debris at the collection site, as we continue to do everything we can to search as thoroughly as possible for any remains to bring closure to families," Levina Cava said in a news release. "We are continuing to search with enormous care and diligence and to work closely hand-in-hand with faith leaders as we have since the beginning of this process."

Officials have not said when the recovery effort will end.

On Thursday, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said in a hearing that victims and families who suffered losses in the collapse would be initially compensated a minimum of $150 million.