Maryland-Based Company Demolishes Remaining Portion Of Surfside Condo In Florida
PHOENIX, Md. (WJZ) -- A Maryland-based company demolished the remaining portion of the Surfside, Florida condo building that collapsed back in June, killing at least 24 people and leaving 121 others unaccounted for.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she signed the order with Controlled Demolition on Friday. The demolition happened Sunday around 10:30 p.m.
According to CBS Miami, a number of explosions could be heard before the building started to fall, sending up massive plumes of dust into the air in the surrounding neighborhoods.
A large crowd gathered to watch from a safe distance away.
"The method of demolition is known as energetics felling, it's a process that uses small strategically placed explosives and relies on gravity to bring the building down in place," said Levine Cava, who added that the building came down exactly as planned.
The decision to demolish the building came after safety issues plagued search efforts.
The mayor also addressed the concerns people had that pets were still in the building.
Officials said they made every effort to search for animals inside before the demolition. Crews searched closets and under beds.
"Bringing the building down in a controlled manner is critical to expanding the scope of search, as you know, in the pile and allowing us a surge in the area of the pile that is closest to the building which is currently not been accessible to the teams given the great risk due to the instability," Levine Cava said.
Controlled Demolition is located in Baltimore County.
You can watch the demolition below:
The company has previously been involved in several other high-profile demolitions, including the remains of the World Trade Center, Plaza Tower, One James River Plaza and the Seattle Kingdome Stadium.