Death toll rises to 18 as crews pull 6 bodies from Surfside rubble

Despite challenges posed by inclement weather, search and rescue crews continue to comb the rubble of a collapsed condo tower in Surfside, Florida Wednesday. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed six more bodies were pulled from the wreckage, raising the death toll to 18 people following last Thursday’s tragedy. 147 individuals were still missing as of Wednesday night.

“I’ve never seen as many assets in place on that site,” said Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett. “We’ve got heavy, heavy equipment and it’s actively lifting gigantic pieces of concrete out of that pile. We’ve got waves of first responders and rescue people all over the top of that mound, all over the side of that mound, and I’m told underneath that mound.”

“Well, there’s an overwhelming amount of grief,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “There’s just still the apprehension about not knowing for sure, and I know there have been more identifications made today, but rest assured that that those folks are going to be working on that pile and it’s not going to stop and they’re going to they’re going to get answers one way or another.”