The latest on the partial building collapse near Miami

The chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners spoke with CNN on Thursday about the steps he plans to take in ensuring that buildings are safe.

President Biden said he believes the federal government would be able to cover all costs related to the June 24 condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida.

Diaz said the President “told me personally that he was going to do that, and we were very happy when he said that to us.”

“We’re going to work together as we’ve been doing to find the legislations and rules and regulations so this will never happen again,” he said.

Rescue operations have resumed at the site of the Champlain Towers condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, Mayor Charles Burkett told CNN Thursday.

Operations had been halted when the debris pile shifted and caused concerns for structural engineers on the site, CNN previously reported.

A 6:30 p.m. ET news conference is expected.

President Biden arrived alongside his wife Jill Biden at a wall of flowers, homemade signs and candles near the site of the Surfside condo building collapse.

He reached out to some of the memorials attached to the chain-link, reading the individual signs and walking slowly down the fence. 

The first lady carried a large bouquet of white lilies in a clear cellophane wrapper, tied together with white ribbon.

After walking down the wall, the couple retraced their steps, and the first lady laid the bouquet near the middle of the memorial. 

The President made a sign of the cross and wiped his eyes. The pair paused for a moment, and he blessed himself again before walking back to his car.

Earlier in the day, Biden met with first responders and families impacted by the condo collapse.

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President Biden today praised the strength and resilience he witnessed among the families of those who are unaccounted for in the condo collapse, but noted they are realistic about the dire situation as the recovery operation continues. 

“What amazed me about this group of people was the resilience and their absolute commitment and willingness to do whatever it took to find an answer,” Biden said, speaking from Bal Harbour, Florida.

“I walked away impressed by their strength,” he added.

Biden did not rule out the possibility that survivors might still be found in the rubble, but he said families and those executing the rescue operation understood the chances of finding survivors diminished with each passing hour.

“There’s still a possibility someone could be alive, someone could still be breathing, someone could be there,” he added.

The President noted that many families hope to be able to at least recover the body of their loved ones to bury them.

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President Biden said there is currently no “firm proof of what’s happened” when asked about what he learned today with regards to the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South. Biden noted that there is “rational speculation,” but the cause of the collapse remains unknown and the investigation is still underway.

The President also told reporters that many loved ones and survivors raised the question of whether global warming impacted the building, such as rising sea levels and incoming tropical storms.

“I don’t think there is at this point any definitive judgement as to why it collapsed and what can be done to prevent it from happening and what other buildings may have to be inspected to determine if they had the same problems,” Biden said.

The President is awaiting findings from a team of six federal scientists and engineers collecting information on the ground. He hopes to use results from their investigation to determine how infrastructure like residential towers can be better fortified against catastrophic failure, according to officials.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed reporting to this post. 

President Biden reflected on the time he spent today talking to families who have lost loved ones in the condo collapse and those who are still waiting on news.

“We’ll be in touch with a lot of these families continuing through this process, but there is much more to be done,” Biden added.

The President said he told the impacted families that the nation is with them.

“We’re here for you as one nation, as one nation. That’s the message we communicated. the President said.

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President Biden is speaking in Florida after meeting with first responders and grieving families following the partial condo collapse in Surfside.

The devastating structural failure, which so far has resulted in at least 18 confirmed deaths and another 145 people still unaccounted for, could become the deadliest non-intentional building collapse in American history.

It has raised new questions about the safety of high-rises that run for miles along the South Florida coast, along with similar developments across the nation.

Biden, who was joined by first lady Jill Biden in Florida, is awaiting findings from a team of six federal scientists and engineers collecting information on the ground.

He hopes to use results from their investigation to determine how infrastructure like residential towers can be better fortified against catastrophic failure, according to officials.

Read more about Biden’s visit here.

More than 500 first responders and state workers are working at the Champlain Towers South condo building collapse, a press release from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) said Thursday.

Five federal urban search and rescue task forces are on their way to join the effort, according to the release.

The threat of Tropical Storm Elsa is also being monitored, with the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) providing updates on the storm to create contingency plans, the release said.

More than 1,300 tons of debris have been removed from the site by more than 130 debris removal trucks from the Florida Department of Transportation, according to the release.

Morabito Consultants — the company named in a lawsuit against Champlain Towers South condo association that alleges it should have more thoroughly examined the building’s stability following a 2018 inspection — said it did its job.

Some context: A lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of Harold Rosenberg, who is still unaccounted for, named Morabito Consultants, which performed a structural analysis of the building in 2018, as a defendant and argues that the firm should have further examined the building’s stability by “inspecting the sub-surface foundation.” 

Marcy said members of the firm “continue to pray for the families and loved ones of all who have been impacted by this tragic event, including the brave men and women who are tirelessly searching for those who are still unaccounted for.”

Pablo Rodriguez, whose mother, Elena Blasser, and grandmother, Elena Chavez, remain unaccounted for, is not meeting with President Biden today, he told CNN.

He decided to take his young son to a grief counselor instead saying, “I really wish I was because I would really like to be able to talk to him about the need for comprehensive reform on a national level.” He added, “the main problems are systemic and there are millions who live in, and work in, buildings across the USA.”

Avi Cohen, whose father, Brad Cohen, and uncle, Gary Cohen, are among the unaccounted for, also declined to meet with the President today. When asked if he had a message for President Biden, he said, “I’m not interested in speaking to him…”

Several other family and friends of the unaccounted whom CNN reached out to did not want to speak, saying they were too devastated to comment. 

Soraya Cohen’s husband and brother-in-law are also unaccounted for after the collapse. She declined to meet with Biden today, responding by voice memo to CNN saying she is unhappy that the President came to the area at this time because his visit could hinder the rescue efforts, also adding, “Tell him to leave…and fast.”

“I’m very upset that he’s here and, you know, my children would not want anything that’s going to delay when every single second counts. We cannot afford it being slowed down even one second,” Cohen said.