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This is VOA News. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd.
The search and rescue mission at a collapsed Florida condominium has been suspended as a crew prepares for the demolition of the remainder of the building. Fire officials told family members rescuers stopped their search about 4 p.m. Saturday when demolition crews began boring holes into the concrete of the still-standing portion of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said removing it will actually help rescue workers. "That will allow our rescue workers to pour all over the entire site without fear of any danger from falling debris or falling buildings."
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Saturday that two more bodies were found in the rubble, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 24. The number of people who remain unaccounted for in the collapse was 124. No one has been found alive in the rubble of the building since the first hours after its collapse last week.
Hurricane Elsa fell back to a tropical storm but is turning its way toward Florida. AP's Mike Hempen reports.
Elsa has passed Haiti and the Dominican Republic and threatens to unleash flooding and landslides. It had been a Category 1 hurricane early Saturday but weakened as it approached Cuba.
National Hurricane Center specialist Andy Latto says the storm should reach Florida by Monday.
"... passing Cuba Sunday night into Monday and at that point it'll be approaching somewhere, maybe towards the Florida Keys." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the state will be ready. "We're preparing for the risk of isolated tornadoes, storm surge, heavy rainfall and flash flooding."
Forecasters expect Elsa to still be a tropical storm when it reaches Florida. However, some model show it heading into the Gulf or up the Atlanta coast.
I'm Mike Hempen. This is VOA News.
