Rescuers searched for victims of a collapsed South Florida condo building through fresh rubble yesterday – after crews set off explosives that brought down the last of the structure, allowing search efforts to resume.

Three more victims were discovered in the newly accessible pile, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told family members, raising the death toll to 27 people. More than 115 people remain unaccounted for.

The demolition opened up a previously unreachable area for rescuers, though the chances of finding any survivors there waned, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on NBC’s Today.

“We understand that families realise the fact that time has gone by, they realise that the chances are growing all dimmer,” she said. “They are with us, they know what we’ve been doing every step of the way.”

Crews could be seen climbing a mound of debris at the site yesterday alongside a piece of heavy equipment that was picking up rubble.

Crews immediately began clearing some of the new debris after the demolition late Sunday so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Officials said the search effort resumed before midnight.

“As a result of the contractor who brought it down, he did it in such a way that literally we actually were back on the original pile in less than 20 minutes,” Mr Jadallah told family members of those missing, drawing applause in a rare upbeat moment for the twice-daily meetings.

Rescuers were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble as they search for those trapped under the Champlain Towers South in Surfside that collapsed on June 24. No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse.

On Sunday, Miami-Dade police identified David Epstein (58) as one of the 27 people known to have died in the tower. His remains were recovered on Friday.

During the demolition, the loud noise of explosions echoed from the structure. Then the building began to fall, one floor after another, cascading into an explosion of dust. Plumes billowed into the air, as crowds watched from afar.

Some residents had pleaded to return to their homes before the demolition to retrieve belongings but were denied. (© Washington Post)

  

© Washington Post