FL Condo Collapse: Victims Will Get $150M; 97 Victims Identified

SURFSIDE, FL — As the recovery efforts wind down in Surfside at the site of the June 24 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building, a Florida judge has said victims and families affected by the collapse will receive a minimum of $150 million in compensation.

That amount includes about $50 million from the insurance on the building and at least $100 million in proceeds from the eventual sale of the property, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman said, according to the Associated Press.

“The court’s concern has always been the victims here,” the judge said, adding that the group includes visitors and renters, not just condo owners. “Their rights will be protected.”

So far, Miami-Dade County officials and first responders have identified 97 people who were killed in the tragedy.

In a news release Wednesday evening, the county said 96 victims were recovered from the site, while one person died in the hospital. All families have been notified.

According to the county, one victim is still not identified, and 242 people are accounted for after the building collapsed.

The site has been mostly cleared of debris and relocated to an evidentiary debris collection site near the airport, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a news release.

First responders are conducting additional searches of the debris brought to this collection site to look for additional remains.

“In collapses like this one it is unfortunately very difficult to recover all the remains. Some of the factors that impeded the search work against us, like fire and water,” the mayor said. “The enormous pressure of the weight of the collapse and the passage of time also make it more challenging. Our teams are committed to doing everything possible to bring closure to the families, and that’s why they continue to search the debris."

Teams also continue to recover personal items and religious artifacts from the debris, the county said.