SURFSIDE, FLA. (WSVN) - Newly released images and videos have given an inside look into the investigation of the Surfside condo collapse that claimed the lives of over 90 people.
The video shows various aspects of the collapse site, including debris removal and investigators probing for the reasons behind the collapse. The search and recovery effort at the site continues around the clock.
Investigators with the National Institute of Standards and Technology have positioned imaging equipment on a nearby balcony to record the locations of items being preserved for study and to record changes to the site as debris is trucked away.
“When they find potential evidence that could be helpful for us, they’re placing that directly over here,” NIST Research Structural Engineer Christopher Segura said. “We’re working with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Miami-Dade Police Department to get that preserved.”
Columns, beams and floor slabs are identified, removed from the pile, tagged and moved to a holding area. Then, the evidence is transported by police escort to an offsite storage location, where it will be preserved for a closer look.
“Our findings help us determine what we see as the probable collapse mechanism that happened here,” Segura said.
On Friday, police identified 51-year-old Dr. Brad Cohen and 79-year-old Maria Popa as the latest victims to be pulled from the rubble.
As families and friends mourn those who died in the tragedy, heated discussions are underway about whether the site where Champlain Towers South once stood will be sold to a developer or turned into a memorial.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber has pitched another proposal. At the end of July, Gelber said he will propose using part of the city’s North Beach Oceanside Park to honor the victims in the June 24 collapse.
The 28-acre park is located near the northern border of the city, about a few hundred feet from where the 12-story condo once stood.
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