Florida condo tower death toll rises to 79

A rescue worker at the remaining part of Champlain Towers South complex in Surfside, Florida, U.S. July 5, 2021. /Reuters

The death toll from the collapse of an apartment building in Florida has risen to 79, after 14 bodies were recovered from the rubble, authorities said Friday.

"It is a staggering and heartbreaking number that affects all of us very, very deeply," said Miami-Dade county mayor Danielle Levine Cava.

Out of the 79 victims, 53 have been identified and 61 people are still missing, the mayor said.

Champlain Towers South, a 12-story building in Surfside, a town north of Miami Beach, came tumbling down on June 24, as residents slept inside.

Source(s): AFP