Searches for possible survivors in the rubble of a partially collapsed apartment complex near Miami have been halted ahead of the building’s controlled demolition.
Teams are preparing to use explosives to bring down the remaining structure.
The destruction of Champlain Towers South was accelerated due to safety concerns caused by a looming storm.
On June 24, a portion of the 12-story building fell. Twenty-four persons are known to have died, while 121 remain unaccounted for.
Since the structure’s collapse in the Miami suburb of Surfside a few hours ago, no survivors have been retrieved from the rubble.
The decision to bring forward the demolition of the remaining block was made after concerns were raised over the approaching Tropical Storm Elsa, which is expected to reach the west coast of Florida on Tuesday.
The mayor of Surfside, Charles Burkett, said strong winds in the coming days could bring down additional debris from the unstable structure, endangering the lives of the search teams.
“It was obvious that the building was a problem,” he said on Saturday, adding: “We agreed that the only solution for that problem was to eliminate it.”
Mr Burkett said the controlled demolition could take place “as early as [Sunday]”, and should be completed within days.
