Fire dept. ends search for remains in Surfside

Fire dept. ends search for remains in Surfside

[NFA] The Miami-Dade County fire and rescue department on Friday declared an end to its search for human remains in the rubble of a Florida condominium tower that collapsed on June 24, killing at least 97 people.

This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.

Search and Rescue teams are reuniting with their families this weekend in Florida, after the Miami-Dade County fire and rescue department declared an end to its search for human remains in the rubble of a collapsed condo in Surfside.

Authorities say at least 97 people were killed after the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo gave way on June 24.

One victim is still believed to be unaccounted for.

Officials say the police department will continue to sift through - what is left of - the debris pile.

On Friday, the fire department’s round-the-clock operation at the site was demobilized, four weeks and a day after the building collapsed.

A procession of vehicles drove away from the site.

In a statement, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava hailed members of the search and recovery teams as ‘true superheroes.’ "You have shown the world what superheroes look like." No one has been pulled alive from the mounds of debris since the early hours after the collapse, and authorities formally gave up hope of finding any survivors on July 7.

Investigators have yet to determine what caused about half of the 136-unit highrise to cave in on itself in one of the deadliest building collapses in U.S. history.

A 2018 engineering report found structural deficiencies that are now the focus of several inquiries, including a grand jury investigation.