SCARED residents of other Miami apartments fear their home will collapse as they shared pictures of corroding steel beams and cracks in concrete walls.
Concerns have grown about the structure of similarly aged high-rise buildings after part of Champlain Towers South collapsed into a pile of rubble on Thursday, leaving at least 149 missing.
Residents at the nearby Maison Grande Condominium are reportedly worried about the apartment's structure, Local10 reports.
Photos reveal cracks in the concrete and corroding steel in beams.
Other images that were taken in the garage show even more damage.
The condo was built in 1971 – ten years before Champlain Towers South – and it had undergone its 40-year recertification check, Mail Online reports.
There were no structural or safety concerns, according to the condo's board president Lilly Ann Sanchez.
Inspectors reportedly found a crack in the ceiling on the penthouse lobby and warned that the building was unsafe.
Ms Sanchez insisted that it had been fixed but residents are reportedly unconvinced.
At least 12 people are dead and 149 are missing after the condo crashed to the ground early on Thursday morning.
The cause of the collapse remains unknown but state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said she will pursue a grand jury investigation, Sky News reports.
A grand jury, which is set up to determine if a crime was committed, could result in manslaughter charges.
It comes after an ex-official, who in 2018 signed off on the safety of the apartment block, said there was “nothing to check” after residents reportedly complained of “constant shaking” from the construction of a luxury tower.
Champlain Towers South resident Mara Chouela wrote to Rosendo Prieto, the former top building official for the town of Surfside, in January 2019 to complain about the construction of a new luxury condo building next door
Residents were reportedly concerned that the building, Eighty Seven Park, was being built too close to their homes, CNN reports.
Chouela, a board member of the condo association, wrote: “We are concerned that the construction next to Surfside is too close.”
She also noted that workers were digging too close to the property and had concerns regarding the apartment's structure.
Prieto reportedly responded "there is nothing for me to check" as the Eighty Seven Park building was just over the border that separates Surfside and Miami Beach.
Magaly Ramsey, the daughter of a resident who is missing, told CNN that her mom had been concerned about the construction of the luxury condos, which took place between 2016 and 2019.
However, the group behind the construction of Eighty Seven Park said they are confident the construction "did not cause or contribute to the collapse that took place in Surfside."
Terrified residents living in the sister blocks of Champlain Towers South fear their apartments could be the next to fall.
Residents have reportedly been told there is no need to evacuate, but some have dismissed this and decided to leave on their own accord.
William Bradford left his apartment with just essential items after becoming overwhelmed with stress, reports Sky News.
He said: "I'm just going back for my passport and documents.
"I am very worried. I am 75-years-old and I am living with the stress every day that this building is going to collapse. I had to get out of there."
Robert Lisman, who took photos of cracks that appeared in Champlain Towers East's garage, said he's afraid the tragedy will have "lingering impacts" on neighboring buildings.
He told Local 10: "I am afraid that there could be some issue in our building that will result in what we saw in Champlain Towers South."
However, an expert hired by the town of Surfside to look at the East and North towers found "no visible evidence of any major structural concern.
A report revealed that Champlain Towers South had “major structural damage” and needed widespread repairs.
It claimed: "The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas.
"Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially."
Conditions had deteriorated between early 2018 and 2021 and repair works of around $15million were needed.
An owner of a one-bed apartment faced with a bill of $80,000 while the owner of four-bed penthouse would’ve had to pay over $336,000.
The Sun has approached Lilly Ann Sanchez for comment.
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