400 chunks of concrete may explain what caused a deadly building collapse in Florida

In an aerial view, a cleared lot where the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building once stood is seen on June 22, 2022, in Surfside, Fla. It had been a year since the tragic event where 98 people died when the building partially collapsed on June 24, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI — A federal team investigating the collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside, Fla., has moved into the next phase of its work. Ninety-eight people died on June 24, 2021, when part of the Champlain Towers South building unexpectedly collapsed.

A team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology began its investigation days after the collapse, while search and rescue operations were still underway. Some of the debris from the site was later removed to a warehouse, where scientists and engineers with NIST conducted nondestructive testing.