Report alleged 'major structural damage' in Miami condo prior to deadly collapse

Concrete slab showed significant damage years before disaster.
The collapsed condo in Surfside, Miami

A 2018 engineering report claimed that the now-partially-collapsed Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla. was suffering from "major structural damage," a warning that came several years prior to the deadly disaster that took place in the Miami community this week. 

A concrete structural slab below the building's pool deck had reportedly sustained significant damage due to the improper construction of the pool itself. The pool deck had been laid flat instead of sloped, leaving water unable to roll off the structure. 

"The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas," the report said. "Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially."

It is unclear if that reported damage was responsible for the collapse this week. So far, four fatalities have been reported from the disaster, while over 150 remain missing. 

Workers continued to comb through the wreckage on Saturday in the hopes of finding additional survivors.