SURFSIDE, Fla. (NewsNation Now) — Florida officials released body camera footage earlier this month from the first police officers who responded to the collapse of a Surfside condo building that left 98 people dead.
Officers in Surfside arrived just minutes after the east side of Champlain Tower South pancaked in the early morning hours of June 24.
About half of the building’s 130 units collapsed, tearing away walls and leaving a number of homes in the still-standing part of the building exposed in what looked like a giant dollhouse.
Clouds of dust billow as the officers make their way past the massive wreckage. The officers can be seen calling for survivors and escorting residents away from the part of the building that was still standing.
You can view the body camera footage below. The footage may be disturbing for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
At least 98 people have been confirmed killed in the disaster, which ranks as one of the deadliest accidental structural failures in U.S. history.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused nearly half of the 40-year-old Champlain Towers South condo to crumple as residents slept.
Rescue workers spent about a month searching the site for remains. Rescuers used bucket brigades and heavy machinery as they worked atop a precarious mound of pulverized concrete, twisted steel and the remnants of dozens of households. The efforts included firefighters, sniffer dogs and search experts using radar and sonar devices.
Debris was moved to a warehouse near Miami International Airport, where forensic specialists continue to investigate.
Since the collapse, engineers and city officials have removed people from some nearby properties to check the structural integrity of the buildings.
Last month, a judge ruled that the victims and families who suffered losses in the collapse would get a minimum of $150 million in compensation.
