Judge in US gives initial OK to a billion-dollar deal in Florida condo collapse

Rescue crews work at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers in Florida (Lynne Sladky/AP)

A Florida judge has given initial approval to a settlement of more than 1 billion dollars (£791 million) to families who lost loved ones in the collapse last year of a Florida beachfront complex in which 98 people died.

The quick settlement of the unprecedented collapse of the 12-storey Champlain Towers South building in the early hours of June 24 2021 could potentially avoid years of court battles.