Biden Will Visit The Surfside Condominium Collapse This Week

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Workers search the rubble Monday at the Champlain Towers South condo collapse in Surfside, Fla. President Biden plans to visit the site on Thursday.





Lynne Sladky/AP



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Lynne Sladky/AP



Live Updates: Miami-Area Condo Collapse
What Led To The Florida Condo Collapse? Here’s What We Know So Far

The Biden administration has responded to the disaster, dispatching Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell to the scene this week.

«[The agency] has deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team as well as building science experts, structural engineers and geotechnical experts to support search-and-rescue operations, and a mobile command center, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

Psaki said the Army Corps of Engineers is providing technical assistance for debris removal. Two FEMA-supported search-and-rescue teams are also involved in the response to the collapse.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has praised FEMA and the Biden administration for «stepping up to the plate in providing assistance in the search and recovery effort. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Biden’s upcoming trip would be «an important reminder that our county, our state and our nation are giving everything we have to search for the victims of this tragedy and support the families in this incredibly devastating time.

The Bidens plan to meet with family members and thank responders in Surfside.

Here’s what we know about what led to the collapse. Follow more coverage on the aftermath here.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is urging people with information about loved ones who are either unaccounted for or known to be safe to call 305-614-1819.