Florida building collapse: Death toll rises to 16

After the recovery of four more bodies, the death toll in the residential buildings collapse in Surfside, Florida has gone up to 16, Sputnik reported quoting a US news agency on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the number of people still unaccounted for has officially been updated to 149. "These numbers are very fluid and they continue to change," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Tuesday (local time), during the media briefing.

The Miami-Dade County Mayor further informed that an official audit is being performed to review the list of people who remain unaccounted for to ensure the removal of possible duplicates.

Rescuers continue to work around the clock in hopes of finding additional people on the scene, however inclement weather and falling debris are hindering search efforts.

The Hill reported that US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit Surfside on Thursday to pay their respects to the victims of the building collapse.

"They want to thank the heroic first responders, search and rescue teams, and everyone who has been working tirelessly around the clock and meet with the families who have been forced to endure this terrible tragedy," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.

A large oceanfront condo building near Miami Beach partially collapsed last Thursday, prompting a massive search-and-rescue response as many people were reported missing.

The cause of the collapse is still unknown. However, new details are emerging about the integrity of the structure noted in an engineering report in 2018.

Experts who have reviewed available data about collapse say probe into its cause should focus on potential failures near the base of the building.

( With inputs from ANI )

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