Search crews who resumed their work after the still-standing portion of the partially collapsed condo building in Surfside, us-regions, was brought down using explosives Sunday night found three more bodies.
The death toll now stands at 27, with 118 people still unaccounted for, Miami-Dade County officials told family members, the Associated Press reports. Two of the victims recovered Sunday were identified as Ingrid Ainsworth, 66, and Tzvi Ainsworth, 68.
The demolition occurred after 10 p.m. ET, 11 days after the shocking collapse of much of the residential Champlain Towers structure on June 24.
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Rescuers search for victims at a collapsed South Florida condo building Monday, July 5, 2021, in Surfside, Fla., after demolition crews set off a string of explosives that brought down the last of the Champlain Towers South building in a plume of dust on Sunday. (Carl Juste/Miami Herald via AP) (Carl Juste/Miami Herald via AP)
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Rescue crews work at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building after the remaining structure was demolished Sunday, in Surfside, Fla., Monday, July 5, 2021. Many people are unaccounted for in the rubble of the building which partially collapsed June 24. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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Rescuers search for victims at a collapsed South Florida condo building Monday, July 5, 2021, after demolition crews set off a string of explosives that brought down the last of the Champlain Towers South building in a plume of dust on Sunday. (Carl Juste/Miami Herald via AP) ( )
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Rescue crews work at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building after the remaining structure was demolished Sunday, in Surfside, Fla., Monday, July 5, 2021. Many people are unaccounted for in the rubble of the building which partially collapsed June 24. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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SURFSIDE, FLORIDA – JULY 05: A pile of debris remains the morning after the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo was taken down with a controlled demolition on July 5, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. The decision by officials to bring the rest of the building down was brought on by the approach of Tropical Storm Elsa and fears that the structure might come down in an uncontrolled fashion. Over one hundred people are missing as the search-and-rescue effort continues. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images) (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
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SURFSIDE, FLORIDA – JULY 05: A pile of debris remains after the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo was taken down with a controlled demolition on July 5, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. The decision by officials to bring the rest of the building down was brought on by the approach of Tropical Storm Elsa and fears that the structure might come down in an uncontrolled fashion. Over one hundred people are missing as the search-and-rescue effort continues. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images) (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
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Debris is seen after the rest of the Champlain South tower was demolished in a controlled exploxion in Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach, late on July 4, 2021. – A controlled explosion brought down the unstable remains of the collapsed apartment block in Florida late on July 4 ahead of a threatening tropical storm as rescuers prepare to resume searching for victims. (Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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TOPSHOT – The rest of the Champlain South tower is seen being demolished in Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach, late on July 4, 2021. – A controlled explosion brought down the unstable remains of the collapsed apartment block in Florida late on July 4 ahead of a threatening tropical storm as rescuers prepare to resume searching for victims. (Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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The rest of the Champlain South tower is seen being demolished in Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach, late on July 4, 2021. – A controlled explosion brought down the unstable remains of the collapsed apartment block in Florida late on July 4 ahead of a threatening tropical storm as rescuers prepare to resume searching for victims. (Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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The rest of the Champlain South tower is seen being demolished in Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach, late on July 4, 2021. – A controlled explosion brought down the unstable remains of the collapsed apartment block in Florida late on July 4 ahead of a threatening tropical storm as rescuers prepare to resume searching for victims. (Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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The remaining structure of the Champlain Towers South condo building is demolished more than a week after it partially collapsed, Sunday, July 4, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) ( )
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The remaining structure of the Champlain Towers South condo building is demolished more than a week after it partially collapsed, Sunday, July 4, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) ( )
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Demolition teams bring down the unstable remainder of the Champlain Towers South condo building, late Sunday, July 4, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. The work to demolish the remains had suspended the search-and-rescue mission, but officials said Sunday it should eventually open up new areas for rescue teams to explore. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) ( )
County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the demolition of the remaining portion of the building was a necessary step for crews to continue their search for any possible survivors of the disasters” target=”_blank”>disaster<
Cava and other officials have pledged that search efforts will continue in hopes of finding survivors even though the odds of finding anyone still alive after more than a week were not favorable.
“This rescue effort, as far as I’m concerned, will go on until everybody is pulled out of that debris,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said earlier Sunday during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”
“Families realize that time has gone by, they realize that the chances are growing dimmer and dimmer,” Cava acknowledged to NBC.
Concerns had developed in recent days that the still-standing portion of the building was unsafe and could have endangered search crews as they worked at the site, the AP reported.
The situation was made more uncertain by the approach of Tropical Storm Elsa, which was heading toward Florida after barreling through the Caribbean over the past several days – although the worst of the storm was expected to travel west of Surfside, according to forecasters.
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The June 24 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers structure drew new scrutiny to the issue of construction integrity in Florida.
The damage to the building had officials and residents alike reviewing past communications about concerns at the building, with several surviving residents already filing lawsuits.
On Friday, officials in neighboring North Miami Beach ordered the shutdown and evacuation of a high-rise condominium building in that community, citing structural concerns.
Sunday night’s razing of the remaining portion of the Surfside building will ultimately give search crews better access to other parts of the site, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told the AP.
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The demolition was handled by BG Group, a general contracting outfit in Delray, Florida, on a $935,000 contract from the state, according to the news agency.
Crews had planned to place the explosives in the basement and lobby levels of the structure, officials said prior to the blast, in a process called “energetic felling,” the AP reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
