Hundreds of first responders who have responded to the site of the Surfside condo collapse will be able to stay onboard a cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's CEO says.
According to Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean, Explorer of the Seas arrived Thursday at PortMiami to serve as a place to stay for first responders. Bayley says up to 600 first responders will stay on the ship for a couple of weeks. First responder K-9s will also be allowed to stay on the ship.
As of Thursday, 18 people have been found dead, and 145 people are still unaccounted for after the collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South beachfront condominium.
Rescue efforts at the site of the partially-collapsed condominium building were halted Thursday out of concern for the stability of the remaining structure after crews noticed widening cracks and up to a foot of movement in a large column, officials said.