Dozens still remain missing.<\/b>
\nAt least 86 people are now confirmed dead while dozens still remain missing at the site of a condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, officials said Saturday, as the search and rescue effort has officially shifted to a recovery operation. \u201cOur teams are continuously working tirelessly to make progress on the site of the collapse, with one shared purpose: To bring closure to the families who are waiting for news of their loved ones,\u201d Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Saturday morning. A massive section of the condo collapsed at around 1:30 a.m. on June 24, just days before the building\u2019s owners were set to start payments on a repair job. The cause of the 40-year-old building\u2019s collapse is still unknown, but there were numerous signs its structure was not in good shape. A 2018 inspection report found «major structural damage» on the building, while photos showed crumbling concrete and leakage from the condo\u2019s pool in the days before the collapse. Another report made by an engineering firm last year \u201cyielded some curious results\u201d after examining the building\u2019s concrete, but it’s not clear exactly what the firm was referring to, according to the Miami Herald. The building was also just at the beginning of a recertification process required for buildings over 40 years old. President Joe Biden visited the site and promised the federal government would completely cover the cost for the first 30 days of search and rescue operations. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), usually a major critic of the Biden Administration, heaped praise on the federal government\u2019s response to the collapse. \u201cYou guys have not only been supportive at the federal level, but we\u2019ve had no bureaucracy,\u201d DeSantis said during the president\u2019s visit. Authorities Say There\u2019s No Longer Hope Of Finding Survivors After Miami Condo Collapse (Forbes) Partially Collapsed Florida Building Demolished Ahead Of Tropical Storm,121 People Still Unaccounted For (Forbes) Death toll rises to 20 as two bodies recovered overnight at Surfside condo collapse (Miami Herald) Condo owners in Surfside building were facing assessments for $15 million worth of repairs (CNN) Hurricane Elsa: First Hurricane Of The Year Declared Over Caribbean As Tropical Storm Strengthens (Forbes)<\/p>\n