Collapse of a building near Miami Beach: the toll rises to 5 dead and 156 missing, we remain hopeful

 Steph Deschamps / June 27, 2021

Rescuers continued their relentless search Saturday in the rubble of a residential building near Miami three days after its spectacular collapse that left five dead and 156 missing, according to the latest report.

Our rescue teams found another body in the rubble, and our search also uncovered human remains, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference. After the identification of three of the bodies previously found, "that means the number of missing is down to 156, and the number of confirmed deaths is up to five, she added.

The search was complicated Saturday by a fire that broke out at the site where the 12-story building, called Champlain Towers, collapsed before dawn Thursday. Smoke has spread through the rubble making some search areas inaccessible, according to the mayor.

Firefighters asked residents to stay in their homes, with windows and doors closed, to protect themselves from the smoke.

We remain hopeful. We are looking for people alive in the rubble, it is our priority and our teams have not stopped, said Daniella Levine Cava.

This disaster, which occurred in Surfside, in the southeastern United States, remains unexplained for the moment.

One of the bodies found in the rubble was identified as Stacie Fang, the mother of a 15-year-old boy rescued from the rubble Thursday morning. Transported to the hospital, she did not survive, according to the Miami Herald.

Among the missing are nine Argentines, three Uruguayans and six Paraguayans, including the sister of the First Lady of Paraguay, and at least four Canadians, according to authorities.