Biden in Florida to see condo collapse site, death toll at 18

Reuters | Miami

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

President Joe Biden flew to Florida yesterday to “comfort” families of people killed or still missing in the rubble of a beachfront apartment building, where hopes of finding survivors had all but evaporated.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden left the White House early for the flight to Miami and then travelled by motorcade to nearby Surfside, where the death toll in the tragedy now stands at 18, and more than 140 still unaccounted for.

Aboard Air Force One, deputy spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the first couple would convey empathy to heartbroken families and thanks to the emergency crews sifting through the wreckage. “The president and the first lady will meet with the families who have been forced to endure this terrible tragedy, offer them comfort during this unimaginable, difficult time,” she told reporters.

Asked about dwindling chances of anyone being found alive, Jean-Pierre said the White House was “hoping for the best.” “This is a rescue operation,” she said. “We haven’t got any indication of it not being exactly that -- search and rescue, looking for loved ones.” The dead confirmed so far include two children, aged four and 10, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said late Wednesday.

Yesterday, Levine Cava said the search and rescue operation had been temporarily halted due to “structural concerns” about the pile of debris.