Two children identified among Miami victims as death toll rises to 18

‘The loss of our children is too great to bear’

The death toll in the Miami building collapse has risen to 18 – with two new victims identified as children.

As it was reported that a federal agency was set to launch an investigation into what caused the building in Florida to collapse, leaving around 150 people unaccounted for, the mayor of Miami-Dade County said two children had been added to the death toll, bringing that number to 18.

The youngsters were aged 8 and 10.

“I’m pained to tell you we found two additional bodies in the rubble, which brings our total count to 18 – 18 fatalities,” the mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, said at a press conference on Wednesday evening.

“It is also with great sorrow, real pain, that I have to share with you that two of these were children. Aged 4 and 10.”

She added: “Any loss of life, especially given the unexpected, unprecedented nature of this event is a tragedy, but the loss of our children is too great to bear.”

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On Wednesday evening, with 147 people still unaccounted for following the collapse last week the condominium tower at Surfside, on Miami Beach, if was reported that the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), a small agency within the Commerce Department, was expected to announce a probe.

CNN said it would be only the fifth time it has have launched an investigation into a structural collapse since the agency was given the power after the attacks of 9/11.

The network said the aim of the probe would be to identify the technical cause of the collapse and possibly recommend changes to building codes and standards.

There have been widespread reports that the 40-year-old tower was not in good structural shape before the collapse, and that engineers had pointed to potential problems.

A 2018 engineering report found that the building’s ground-floor pool deck was resting on a concrete slab that had “major structural damage” and needed extensive repairs. The report also found “abundant cracking” of concrete columns, beams and walls in the parking garage.

Also on Wednesday, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told family members of those missing that a ramp built onto the pile overnight allowed rescuers to use a crane on sections that were not previously accessible.

He said that improves the chances of finding new pockets of space in the search for survivors.

“We hope to start seeing some significant improvement in regards to the possibility of [finding] any voids that we cannot see,” Mr Jadallah said.

Additional reporting by Associated Press