Death toll from Florida condo collapse rises to 22

Washington: The death toll from the partial collapse of a condo in Florida has risen to 22 as the Miami-Dade Police Department on Friday released the identities of three additional victims but withheld that of the fourth.

The department said on Twitter that the newly discovered victims included a seven-year-old daughter of one of the first responders, and 126 people remained unaccounted for, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Chances for finding someone still alive beneath the pile have become increasingly slim as the search and rescue operations stretched into a ninth day.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Elsa, which has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane and is now battering islands in the Caribbean, is expected to reach Florida's shores as early as Sunday evening, forecasters said.

Though Elsa's path remains highly uncertain, the hurricane could still possibly bring strong winds and heavy rain to most of Florida, further complicating the rescue effort at the site of the condo collapse.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Friday at a news conference that his state is working on a "dual track" with the collapse site and Hurricane Elsa potentially impacting South Florida.