About 160 people were still unaccounted for Friday a day after an oceanside condominium building collapsed into a pile of rubble, and searchers combing through a twisted, shifting pile of concrete and metal feared the death toll of at least four could go much higher.
With scores of firefighters working overnight to reach any possible survivors both from under and atop the remains of the building, hopes rested on how quickly crews using dogs and microphones to sift through the wreckage could complete their grim, yet delicate task.
"Every time we hear a sound, we concentrate on those areas," said Assistant Miami-Dade Fire Chief Raide Jadallah.
Three more bodies were removed overnight, and Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said authorities were working with the medical examiner’s office to identify the victims. Eleven injuries were reported, with four people treated at hospitals. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said rescuers were at “extreme risk” going through the rubble.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
