Photography
Eleven days after a large swath of a South Florida condominium suddenly collapsed, burying dozens and devastating the town of Surfside, rescuers were searching for signs of life amid a newly demolished portion of the building that officials said was unstable and potentially dangerous with Tropical Storm Elsa bearing down on the region. On July 4, rescuers recovered three more bodies among the rubble, raising the death toll to 27, the Associated Press reported; about 115 people were unaccounted for.
Marco Bello/Reuters
July 5
Rescuers search for victims at a the collapsed Champlain Towers South after demolition crews set off a string of explosives that brought down the last of the building in Surfside, Fla.
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/AP
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/AP
July 5
A pile of debris remains the day after the rest of the condominium building was taken down with a controlled demolition.
Saul Martinez/Getty Images
Saul Martinez/Getty Images
July 5
Rescuers sift through debris.
Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
July 4
People wait to watch as the rest of the Champlain Towers South building is taken down.
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
July 4
The condo building starts to fall as the demolition begins.
Marco Bello/Reuters
Marco Bello/Reuters
July 4
The remaining structure of the building is demolished, more than a week after it partially collapsed.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Lynne Sladky/AP
July 4
People watch as the building is demolished by a controlled explosion.
Pooja Mehrotra/AFP/Getty Images
Pooja Mehrotra/AFP/Getty Images
July 4
A woman holding candles cries as she watches the building come down.
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
July 4
Smoke rises from the rubble after the condo building is fully demolished.
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
July 3
Rescue teams use jackhammers to chip through debris and rubble as they continue to look for survivors in the collapsed portion of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla.
Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/AP
Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/AP
July 3
This satellite image shows the partially collapsed building in Surfside.
Maxar Technologies/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Maxar Technologies/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
July 3
People pray in front of the memorial of photos of some of those missing in the collapse.
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
July 3
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his wife, Casey, visit the memorial.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
July 2
Search and rescue personnel work at the site of the collapse.
Miami Dade Fire Department/Reuters
Miami Dade Fire Department/Reuters
July 2
A woman prays as rescue workers search the rubble of the building.
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
July 1
Coast Guard boats patrol in front of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building ahead of a President Biden's planned visit to the site in Surfside, Fla.
Mark Humphrey/AP
Mark Humphrey/AP
July 1
President Biden shakes hands with Florida state chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis as he meets rescue teams and first responders in Surfside.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
July 1
People watch a motorcade with Biden passes near the partially collapsed partially collapsed condo building in Surfside.
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
July 1
The president and first lady look at the memorial wall in Surfside.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
June 29 | Surfside, Fla.
Crews from the United States and Israel work in the rubble of the Champlain Towers South building.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Lynne Sladky/AP
June 29 | Surfside, Fla.
Crews from the United States and Israel work in the Champlain Towers South condo rubble.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Lynne Sladky/AP
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Community organizers Leo Soto, left, and Steven Ferreiro, center, pray alongside other community members at the memorial wall near the collapsed Champlain Towers South.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Community organizers and volunteers place flowers at a memorial near the collapsed building.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Photos of missing persons and flowers on the memorial wall near the building.
Octavio Jones/For The Washington Post
Octavio Jones/For The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
A couple on the beach near Champlain Towers South.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
A memorial of flowers shaped like a heart near the collapsed Champlain Towers South.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
A memorial for a missing family is seen at St. Joseph Catholic Church, a few blocks from the collapsed Champlain Towers South.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Flowers and a letter placed at a memorial near the site.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Flowers and photos of the missing are placed near the collapsed Champlain Towers South.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue crews continue to look for survivors.
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Crews from the Jacksonville Fire Department and members of Florida Task Force 5 walk out of the work area as another crew heads in on Day 5 of the search-and-rescue effort.
Emily Michot/Miami Herald/AP
Emily Michot/Miami Herald/AP
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
A woman attends a candlelight vigil near the collapsed building.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
People attend a candlelight vigil near the collapsed building.
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
Octavio Jones for The Washington Post
June 28 | Surfside, Fla.
Mourners gathered at a memorial wall after attending a candlelight vigil.
Octavio Jones/For The Washington Post
Octavio Jones/For The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue crews and their search-and-rescue dog continue to look for survivors.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue crews watch as a piece of the collapsed building is lifted.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue crews continue to look for survivors.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
A bunk bed is seen in the partially collapsed building.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue crews continue to look for survivors.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
A young couple bow their heads in prayer in front of a barrier surrounding the collapsed building.
Maggie Steber/FTWP
Maggie Steber/FTWP
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
A Jewish mother and her 6 daughters pray on the beach in Surfside, Fla.
Maggie Steber for The Washington Post
Maggie Steber for The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
Evelyn Sussman and her husband Richard, both from Surfside, Fla., light a flameless candle following a mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 27 | Surfside, Fla.
People attend a mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church where the names of those missing from the collapsed Champlain Towers South were read.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
People attend a prayer vigil at St. Joseph Catholic Church for the victims of the collapse.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
Eliagne Sanchez and K. Parker, both from Hollywood, Fla., lay flowers near the scene of the collapsed Champlain Towers South.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue workers dig through the debris.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
People on a personal watercraft pass by the condo building as the rescue operation continues.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
People watch as rescue workers sift through the debris.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue workers stand on a debris pile.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
A view of an exposed portion of the building.
Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) speaks at a news conference with the latest information.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 26 | Surfside, Fla.
A woman pays tribute at a memorial site in front of the condo building for those missing.
Maggie Steber for The Washington Post
Maggie Steber for The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
People gather near the site of the building.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Firefighters battle a blaze as rescue workers search through debris.
Al Diaz/Miami Herald/AP
Al Diaz/Miami Herald/AP
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Women comfort each other at the Surfside community center, where friends and family of those missing wait for new developments in the search of their loved ones.
Jose A. Iglesias/Miami Herald/AP
Jose A. Iglesias/Miami Herald/AP
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Miami-Dade police officer Barbara Jenkins comforts a woman who is trying to get closer to the building site.
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/AP
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/AP
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Mike Salberg, right, looks at the remains of the building as he awaits information on missing family members.
Gianrigo Marletta/AFP/Getty Images
Gianrigo Marletta/AFP/Getty Images
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
A group of people pray together on the beach next to the site.
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/AP
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/AP
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
People hang up signs of missing residents and light candles near the partially collapsed building.
Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters
Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters
June 25, 2021 | Surfside, Fla.
People react at the memorial for victims.
Octavio Jones/Reuters
Octavio Jones/Reuters
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
A makeshift memorial, with photos of those missing, stands outside the partially collapsed building.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Aerial of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South building.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Debris from the building is piled up on the ground.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
The Champlain Towers South building, center left, along the beachfront.
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
An emergency worker leaves the scene of the collapsed Champlain Towers South building.
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Ariana Hevia, of New Orleans, center, stands with Sean Wilt, left, near the partially collapsed building. Hevia's mother, Cassondra Stratton, lives in the building.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Lynne Sladky/AP
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Search-and-rescue personnel look for survivors through the rubble of the building.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue/AP
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue/AP
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
People embrace outside of the reunification center as they wait for information about missing loved ones. (Zack Wittman for The Washington Post)
June 25 | Surfside, Fla.
Members listen as a Rabbi leads a psalm reading for his congregation in the wake of the partial building collapse. CORRECTION: A previous version of this caption incorrectly identified {the third person from left] as Rabbi Eliot Pearlson. Pearlson is not in the photo, and the man pictured is unidentified. The caption has been corrected.
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Search-and-rescue personnel work in the rubble.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
A general view of the building near the oceanfront.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
A view of the pool and rubble.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
A woman weeps at the Surfside community center, where authorities are taking the building's residents and their relatives.
Marco Bello/Reuters
Marco Bello/Reuters
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Firefighters try to contain a fire next to the building.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Onlookers stand near the building.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
The exposed interior of the condo building.
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
A woman looks at the building from the shoreline.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Floors of the building are partially exposed.
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
Saul Martinez for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Rescue workers walk among the rubble of the building's collapsed wing.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Lynne Sladky/AP
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Fire crew members work in the building's basement parking garage.
Miami-Dade Fire Department/Reuters
Miami-Dade Fire Department/Reuters
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Smoke from an interior fire seeps from rubble next to the building.
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Mayor Charles W. Burkett, center, speaks at a news conference outside the building.
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
Zack Wittman for The Washington Post
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
First responders arrive at the scene.
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Search and rescue personnel pull a body out of the rubble after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South.
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Fire department personnel rescue a resident.
Chandan Khann/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khann/AFP/Getty Images
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Firefighters rescue a survivor from the rubble.
ReliableNewsMedia
ReliableNewsMedia
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
A woman near the collapsed building.
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
Firefighters search the partially collapsed building.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Wilfredo Lee/AP
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
A portion of the building crumbled to the ground following the partial collapse.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
June 24 | Surfside, Fla.
People view the partially collapsed building.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Wilfredo Lee/AP
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Photo editing and production by Troy Witcher, Stephen Cook and Dee Swann