Florida building collapse: Engineering firm already warned about structural flaws

Florida [US], June 29 After a large oceanfront condo building collapsed last Thursday outside Miami, a local official informed board members that the building was in good shape.

But the statement sparked controversy as an engineering firm had already warned about the structural flaws in the building back in November 2018, Fox News reported on Tuesday.

A report from an engineering firm, Morabito Consultants briefed about flaws in the building structure. These reports showed that the pool deck's waterproofing had failed and was not sloped to drain water, this affected the concrete slab under the pool and other structures of the building. "Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially," the report stated.

The number of deaths reported stood at 11 as of now. The administration will now audit recertification of all the buildings above four stories for any 'life safety issue' as reported by Fox News.

Meanwhile, Florida State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said rescue workers are working day and night to find survivors. Over 400 rescue workers are assigned to the search, with about 200 scouring the wreckage at any given time, CNN reported.

Dozens of units from police and fire agencies rushed to Champlain Towers South hereafter the northeast corridor of the building collapsed, reported Washington Post citing Assistant Fire Chief Ray Jadallah.

Local leaders have urged the public to support the victims and their loved ones.

"This is a very sad moment in our community. It is important that all prayers go out to all family members and those suffering right now," Jose "Pepe" Diaz, chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, said in a news conference.

( With inputs from ANI )