Miami building collapse: Demolition date brought forward

A demolition order has already been signed by the authorities

The demolition of the standing portion of the apartment block that collapsed near Miami has been brought forward due to an approaching tropical storm.

The upright section of Champlain Towers South will be destroyed within days to allow rescuers to search the site safely, officials say.

The death toll has risen to 24, with 121 people missing after the collapse of the 12-storey building on 24 June.

Officials are investigating other tower blocks for structural faults.

• What do we know about the Miami collapse victims?

On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the forthcoming demolition would "protect our search-and-rescue teams".

He added: "We don't know when it could fall over. With these gusts that would create a real severe hazard."

Storm Elsa, a 75-mph (120km/h) hurricane, could potentially hit Florida early next week.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Cava Levine signed a demolition order on Friday. She initially said she expected the demolition would not happen until late July.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said the fear was that the storm would knock the rest of the building down and drop debris on to the zone where survivors were still being sought.

"Obviously the building is a problem and the only solution is to get rid of it," he said.

Ms Cava Levine said the families of those still missing had been told of the decision and "they understand". No-one has been found alive since the first hours after the collapse.

Demolition experts have been devising a plan on Saturday, and the destruction will be controlled, with the use of explosive charges.

There are no details so far about compensating the owners.

On Friday, a firefighter carried the body of his own seven-year-old daughter from the rubble of the collapsed block. He had kept vigil at the site for nine days and was there when she was extracted.

Stella Cattarossi is the third child to be recovered from the site in the Miami suburb of Surfside.

She was with her mother, grandparents and an aunt visiting from Argentina, according to local10.com.

No survivors have been found since the first few hours after the building collapsed

Also on Friday, the residents of another block were told to leave on safety grounds - the first building to be given such an order in the area since the collapse.

Crestview Towers Condominium residents were ordered to evacuate by North Miami Beach Building Department.

What caused the 40-year-old Champlain Towers South to crumble remains unclear. But a 2018 inspection warned of "major" design flaws in the original design.

• What could have caused Miami building collapse?

The building association's board says it will appoint an "independent receiver... to oversee the legal and claims process".