The partially collapsed condominium in Miami where 24 people are confirmed dead, will be demolished on Sunday evening before the possible arrival of tropical storm Elsaofficials said.
Search and rescue operations for 121 missing persons have been suspended.
“The demolition will take place between 10:00 pm and 3:00 am (0200-0700 GMT) tonight,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters on Sunday.
Rescue efforts will resume once the building is dismantled, she said, noting that 11 days have passed since the collapse.
ALSO READ: Florida officials are conducting multiple investigations into the beachfront condo collapse
On Sunday afternoon, tropical storm Elsa was traveling off the coast of Cuba with wind speeds of 100 kilometers per hour (95 km / h). After the storm hit Cuba later on Sunday and Monday, the storm should approach west Florida on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In the rubble of the Champlain Towers South complex on Surfside, workers were drilling pillars where small charges will be placed to collapse what remains of the building in a small area, officials said.
Residents in nearby buildings do not need to be evacuated but should stay indoors and turn off the air conditioning because of dust, the mayor said.
Instead of the usual fireworks and flag-waving parties, the beach communities in the area have planned rather subdued events for July 4th. Miami Beach has canceled the Independence Day celebrations.
Investigators have not established what brought the 40-year-old complex to collapse on June 24th. A 2018 engineering report identified structural deficiencies that are now the focus of investigations that include a grand jury review.
ALSO READ: Cuba evacuates 180,000 people as Tropical Storm Elsa approaches
All residents of another building, the Crestview Towers in North Miami Beach, were urged to leave immediately on Friday after engineers discovered serious concrete and electrical problems, officials said.
The move was deemed urgent because of Elsa’s approach, said Arthur Sorey, North Miami Beach city manager, adding that the building’s owners had not yet begun a mandatory safety recertification process 40 years after construction.
“It’s definitely not an easy decision,” said Sorey. “It is just right in these times. It is uncertain what will happen to the storm.”
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