Fifth Person Confirmed Dead From Surfside Condo Collapse, 156 Remain Missing

Photo by EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images.

Rescuers located a fifth body amid the rubble of the collapsed high-rise condominium building near Miami on Saturday. Officials said 156 are still unaccounted for.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said three people have been identified, and their loved ones have been notified. Officials will not publicly name them out of respect for their families. Officials said they are gathering DNA samples from family members to assist in the identification process and that the remains of the fifth person were sent to the medical examiner.

“Our top priority continues to be search and rescue, and saving any lives that we can,” Levine Cava said. “Our teams have been working around the clock as always. They have not stopped.”

While the cause of the collapse remains unclear, a 2018 engineering survey found signs of structural damage in the Surfside building including water leaks and “cracking and spalling” of the concrete in the parking garage and on several balconies.

Approximately 55 of the 136 units collapsed around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, and search and rescue crews have since worked day in and out to locate the missing but their efforts were hampered by a fire beneath the rubble and later, heavy rainfall. The crews have used dogs, drones, sonar, and cranes as part of the effort.

“We don’t have a resource problem here. We have a luck problem,” said Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett.

President Joe Biden tweeted his condolences on Saturday and shared that he is working alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to support those affected.

“My heart is with the community of Surfside as they grieve their lost loved ones and wait anxiously as search and rescue efforts continue,” he wrote. “Yesterday I spoke with Gov. DeSantis to let him know that we are ready to provide assistance as needed by state and local officials.”

Officials announced Friday that they were approved for FEMA aid to assist in the efforts in Surfside.

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