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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Rising junior still missing in Miami condo collapse as officials end search for survivors

Rising junior Deborah Berezdivin is still missing in the collapse of a Florida condo building as Miami-Dade officials ended rescue efforts for people trapped underneath the rubble and transitioned to a recovery mission Wednesday.

Berezdivin and her boyfriend, University of Chicago student Ilan Naibryf, are among the 86 people still unaccounted for following the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South on June 24 in Surfside, Florida, which killed at least 54 people. Miami-Dade officials, who are coordinating the response to the collapse, determined there was virtually “no chance of survival,” The New York Times reported.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue announced yesterday the efforts were switching from searching for survivors to a recovery mission.

The Miami Herald reported Berezdivin’s cousin, Jay Kleiman, was also among the missing until Miami-Dade police identified him as one of the deceased Tuesday. Police also identified his mother, Nancy Kress Levin, and his brother, Frank Kleiman, among the dead.

GW Hillel posted a message written by her friends, calling her “passionate” and a friend to “many.”

Malarie Dauginikas, a spokesperson for the town of Surfside, was not immediately available for comment.

Officials demolished the portion of the building that remained standing on Sunday after experts feared it may collapse and kill rescue workers, according to reports. Miami-Dade officials are also closely monitoring Tropical Storm Elsa, and significant winds and rainfall may disrupt recovery efforts, according to USA Today.

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About the Contributor
Zach Blackburn, Editor in Chief
Zach, a senior majoring in political communication, is the 2023-24 editor in chief of The Hatchet. He previously served as senior news editor and assistant news editor of the Metro beat. He hails from West Columbia, South Carolina.
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