Report from 2018 warned of 'major damage'

An inspection in 2018 highlighted "a major error" in the original design of an apartment block that collapsed near Miami, Florida, it has been revealed. The engineer's report, which has just been made public, said the fault prevented water draining from the base of the seafront Champlain Towers.

Part of the building collapsed on Thursday while many residents slept. Hopes are fading for the 159 people still unaccounted for. So far, five deaths have been confirmed.

Rescue efforts were hampered on Saturday after a fire broke out underneath the rubble.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the blaze was "very deep" and rescuers faced "incredible difficulties" because of the fire.

The building consultant's report from three years ago came to light in a series of documents made public by the town of Surfside.

The engineer, Frank Morabito, said the lack of proper drainage was "a systemic issue" that stemmed from a flaw "in the development of the original contract documents".

He flagged what he called "major structural damage" to the concrete platform beneath the swimming pool deck.

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

The engineer also referred to "abundant cracking… of columns, beams and walls" in the parking garage.

His report didn't suggest the 40-year-old building was at any imminent risk of collapse but he urged that the concrete repairs be carried out in "a timely fashion".

Correspondents say it is not yet clear if the repairs were carried out or if the problems highlighted contributed to the structural failure. Champlain Towers had been due to undergo a multi-million dollar refurbishment this year.

The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has promised that authorities will find out what happened saying "anybody affected by this directly wants that answer".

What is the latest with the search efforts?

Search and rescue teams continued to look for signs of life on Saturday, while families anxiously waited for updates.

Rachel Spiegal, whose missing mother lived on the sixth floor of the building, told the Associated Press she was "praying for a miracle".

Jeanne Ugarte said she did not expect her long-time friends who lived in the building to be found alive. "It's been too long," she told the news agency.

Teams have been using machines, drones and specially trained dogs in their efforts to find survivors.

"Any time that we hear a sound, we concentrate in that area," Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told reporters. "It could be just steel twisting, it could be debris raining down, but not specifically sounds of tapping or sounds of a human voice."

Rescuers are working in rotation with a limited number allowed on site at any one time to prevent any further collapse.

Teams from Mexico and Israel have been helping with the search efforts, according to reports.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, meaning the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help state agencies with the relief effort.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were doing everything possible to find survivors. "We do not have a resource problem, we have a luck problem," he said.

Local officials have provided families with hotel rooms and food as they wait for news about their loved ones.

The missing include people from Israel and Latin America, according to reports. Paraguay's foreign ministry said six of its nationals had been registered as missing, including relatives of the country's first lady.