The death toll in the Surfside condo collapse has risen to 20, officials confirmed Friday morning, according to WPLG.
One of those 20 victims was the young daughter of a City of Miami firefighter who had been working at the scene.
Thursday, rescue efforts were briefly suspended after officials feared the rest of the structure could collapse.
First responders began looking through the rubble again for the more than 125 missing around 5 p.m.
Thursday night, rescuers recovered another body. This time it was a 7-year-old girl.
“We can confirm that a member of our City of Miami Fire Department family has lost his 7-year-old daughter in the collapse. She was recovered last night by members of our Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force 2,” Miami Fire Rescue Chief Joseph Zahralban said.
The rescuers who found her brought her body to her father, who was working at the scene. He draped his jacket over her and an American flag was placed over the gurney.
She was escorted by her father, her uncle, and those who dug her out down a street lined by first responders.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed an additional body had been located bringing the total death toll to 20 and 128 people still missing.
More than a week after the deadly condo collapse, officials and rescuers are now faced with possibly dealing with an incoming hurricane.
The cause of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building is under investigation.
Every time I hear about the rescue efforts from the condo collapse it breaks my heart. Everyone was sleeping and in an instant their lives and their loved ones’ lives were changed in an instant.
My heart goes out to all those affected, including all of the first responders.
Please share this on Facebook and join me in praying that every one is recovered from this horrible disaster.
