Reportedly, while the demolition was considered key to resuming the
search for victims of the June 24 collapse, Colonel Golan Vach, an
Israeli search-and-rescue operations expert who has been working at the
site, said he was doubtful that survivors would be found.
Vach said he no longer believes there are any building collapse
survivors under the rubble on July 4 afternoon. He said the
circumstances during the last few days led him to believe that the
chances of finding survivors are close to zero.
“We are going through this difficult time together. We talk every
night... Sometimes we cry. It’s natural, but we are tough guys. This is
our job and we will do it as best as we can,” Vach said,
adding that he and seven other Israeli experts will remain in
Miami-Dade until Thursday, July 8, to help reassess the situation post
the demolition. The Israeli technicians, he said, are going back home
Monday, July 5.
“We were here 50 people but the whole country of Israel was behind us,”
Vach said. He said that two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital
mapping was essential to recovering bodies out of the rubble. He also
said that he made every effort to remain in communication with the
families of the victims — religion and nationalities were irrelevant to
his team. “Most of the people that I personally pulled out, extracted
from the pile, were not Jewish,” Vach said. “We are trying to be
hopeful, but realistic at the same time.”
“We are standing by. We are ready to go in, no matter the time of night,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told
a news conference on July 4 night about the rescue efforts following
the demolition. She called the method of demolition "energetic felling",
describing it as a process that "uses small, strategically placed
explosives and relies on gravity to bring the building down in place."
As per reports, officials have been racing against Tropical Storm
Elsa, which is moving toward South Florida with heavy rain and sustained
winds of 60 mph. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said
on July 4 that his team was tasked with altering their operational
approach around the collapsed structure as Tropical Storm Elsa moved
closer. "It appears as though the approaching storm may have been a
blessing in disguise for us in that it initiated the demolition
discussion," he said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 15 counties on July 3 including Miami-Dade County because of Tropical Storm Elsa.
"We're preparing for the risk of isolated tornadoes, storm surge, heavy
rainfall, and flash flooding," DeSantis said, adding the state has
"begun executing contingency plans for the Tropical Storm Elsa and
Surfside co-response".
1 comment:
Unless a person is trapped in there who can not speak or signal but does have access to food and water it is now a recovery operation and not a rescue operation. Pretending otherwise is fundamentally dishonest.
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