Surfside condo collapse death toll rises to 36, bodies of eight additional victims uncovered

The search and rescue crew hastens as Tropical Storm Elsa approaches.
Search an Rescue personnel in Surfside, Florida

The bodies of eight additional victims of the Surfside, Fla., condo collapse were found Tuesday, raising the death toll to 36.

Search efforts ramped up Monday and Tuesday ahead of the threat of severe weather blowing through the area as Tropical Storm Elsa prepares to hit Florida.

Already, high wind speeds are making the Tuesday effort difficult as machine operators struggle to maneuver heavy debris with cranes.

More than 110 people remain unaccounted for, at least 70 of whom have now been confirmed to have been inside the Champlain Towers South building when it collapsed nearly two weeks ago. 

More than 120 tons of debris have been removed, so far, from the site of the disaster, though crews have detected no new signs of survivors since the initial hours after the June 24 collapse.

"We are not seeing anything positive," said Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky. "We're actively searching as aggressively as we can."