Surfside Condo Collapse: Search Nears End, 93 Of 97 Victims Recovered Have Been Identified

SURFSIDE (CBSMiami) - More than 26 million pounds of debris and concrete from the Champlain Towers South collapse site as the search for victims nears an end.

Crews have recovered 97 bodies from the rubble.

Ninety three people have been identified including six additional victims whose names were released Thursday. Maria Notkin, 81, Valeria Barth, 14, Michelle Anna Pazos, 23, Mihai Radulescu, 82, Rosa Saez, 70, and Miguel Leonardo Kaufman, 65.

An additional person was identified Friday, 79-year-old and Maria Popa.

At least 240 people connected to the building have been accounted for, with just a few still listed as "potentially unaccounted for."

In a statement, the county said it has become increasingly difficult to identify victims, and we are relying heavily on the work of the medical examiner's office and the scientific, technical process of identifying human remains. This work becomes more difficult with the passage of time although our teams are working as hard and as fast as they can.

"Moving forward, out of respect for the families who are still waiting and to ensure we are reporting the most accurate possible numbers, we will only be reporting the number of victims who have been identified," according to the statement.

A cause for the collapse has not yet been pinpointed.

The deadly collapse has spurred reviews of building safety across South Florida, as officials and residents scramble to figure out the vulnerability of aging structures.

The 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium was set for its four-decade recertification review when it collapsed.

Engineers and others investigating the cause of the collapse have been identifying key pieces of the 40-year-old building to determine what happened.

The search for answers includes an engineer hired by the town of Surfside, a team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, experts hired by lawyers representing families and others.

Last Wednesday, a judge approved the sale of the property where the condo once sat. The proceeds will go to survivors and the families of those who died. The oceanfront property could go for $100 million to $110 million, according to court records.

Neighbors 4 Neighbors has established a fund to assist families impacted by the collapse as well as help feed first responders. To contribute, call Neighbors 4 Neighbors at (305) 597-4404 or go to neighbors4neighbors.org/surfsidefund.