Residents of Florida Building That Collapsed, Killing 12, Were Warned in April About Its Emergency Condition

Residents of a collapsed 12-story building in Florida received a letter in April from the president of the building's developer association, warning them about the emergency condition of the structure, according to BBC news.

The document explicitly stated that the building was in an emergency condition and that it would deteriorate further, thus indicating that immediate repairs were necessary.

A lawsuit has been filed against the construction association.

The residential building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed, and it remains unclear how many people were inside at the time of the collapse.

“We are bracing for bad news, considering the extent of the devastation,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, adding that, in his opinion, the rapid response of emergency services has saved many lives.

The building consisted of 136 apartments, 55 of which have collapsed. It has stood since 1980 and was built on dried-up water land, which experts find concerning. Currently, there are reports of 12 victims and 149 missing individuals. Search operations are ongoing.