An engineering report in Oct. 2018 warned of "major structural damage" in the Florida building that collapsed last week. The next month, a town inspector said the building was in "very good shape."
The 2018 report found major damage to the concrete structural slab below the pool deck and warned that extensive repairs would be needed soon. The mayor is considering evacuating a sister building.
"The people that got out are never gonna go back and live in that building, of course. And so some of them have lost everything that they had," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Rescue teams search for any survivors within the sudden mountain of debris. "That's not an old building," said Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett. "That kind of thing should not be happening."
As of Friday morning, 159 people remain unaccounted for as rescue crews work at the scene. The suit says the condo association failed to "secure and safeguard" the owners' lives and property.
"We will continue search and rescue because we still have hope that we will find people alive," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. The number of fatalities has risen to four.
The building near Miami was occupied at the time. Authorities said rescuers have so far helped evacuate at least 35 people who were trapped inside the building.