Nearly five years after the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, federal investigators have concluded that the disaster began weeks before the building came down, according to a newly released report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The report found that a critical structural failure occurred in May 2021, roughly three weeks before the June 24 collapse that killed 98 people. Investigators determined that an undetected, slow-moving failure developed in a pool-deck support column, placing excessive strain on neighboring columns and triggering a chain of structural damage.

According to the findings, the building’s collapse stemmed from a combination of factors, including design and construction deficiencies, structural modifications made after construction, and decades of deterioration. Investigators also cited waterproofing failures and long-term corrosion that weakened the reinforced concrete structure.

The report states that several warning signs appeared in the weeks leading up to the collapse but went unrecognized. These reportedly included a sliding glass door that popped out of its frame, entry gates that shifted and jammed, and increased water leakage through the garage ceiling in the hours before the disaster.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)