Almost three years before a Miami waterfront building partially collapsed, an engineering firm estimated that the repairs needed to the structure
would cost more than $ 9 million,
according to documents obtained by Noticias Telemundo.
According to the report, consultant Frank Morabito found alarming evidence of
"significant structural damage"
to the concrete floor below the pool deck as well as
"abundant" cracks
and collapses of columns, beams and walls of the parking lot under the building. with 12 floors (plus an attic).
[The number of confirmed deaths in the collapse of the building in Miami increases to 9. They are looking for 152 disappeared]
The engineer also pointed out that the pool cover and the outdoor planters "were placed on a flat structure" that prevented the water from draining.
Likewise,
waterproofing "was a systemic problem"
dating back to a defect in "the preparation of the original contractual documents" 40 years ago.
The report did not warn, however, of the imminent danger of damage, and
it is also unclear whether this was the cause
of Thursday's Champlain Towers South
collapse
.
Brad Sohn, an attorney representing the owners of the building units in the lawsuit against the Champlain Towers South association, told Noticias Telemundo that the
report's findings "are worrying."
[They had been married for 59 years and died together in the collapse of the building in Miami]
"From the beginning we were aware that it was an avoidable situation," he said.
"Seeing the documents shows that, indeed,
people who had the capacity to act almost three years ago did not do so
,
" he
added.
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Sohn also assured that in the coming days he will present several lawsuits for the injuries of the people and those who died.
So far authorities have confirmed nine deaths and more than 150 people are still missing.
When asked who is responsible for this catastrophic event, the lawyer pointed out that they
are "leaving all possibilities open,"
that is, both the condominium association and the city.
And he explained that that is why he will start the legal battle this Monday to obtain more information and
know who are responsible.
In addition to the public investigation that the authorities will make into the causes of the partial collapse, the lawyer will undertake his own investigation with his "own experts" and thus "get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible," said Sohn.
"Imagine if your children were there": the despair of the families of the victims in Miami
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He also urged all people who know something about the building to contact the firm.
"The more information we can obtain, the more effective we can be as lawyers," he said.
And it is that thanks to the calls of people he was able to know that the structural integrity of the building was a known problem, according to him.
The Champlain Towers condominium, of more than 130 apartments, was built in 1981 on former wetlands and was currently undergoing a structural review process, as required by the city of Surfside when 40 years of construction have passed.