Miami High-Rise Collapse Uncovers History Of Corruption And Bribes

Washington: The country that pioneered the high-rise building concept (also called skyscrapers when New York City eclipsed the first multi-story structures in the midwest) is having a moment of reckoning following the collapse of a condominium in Miami that is evocative of such frequent disasters in Mumbai. Americans are hearing and watching horror stories of corruption and building code violations in a sagamore akin to those in developing nations than in a nation that prides itself on enforcing laws.

- Chidanand.Rajghatta

The disquiet extends beyond the collapse of the 12-storied beachfront building: Six days after the disaster only a dozen bodies have been recovered from the 159 unaccounted victims believed entombed in the rubble. The growing list of red flags now being revealed with the Champlain Towers South building is alarming residents far beyond the North and East towers that remain standing. Some are abandoning flats over questions about the structural integrity of the buildings amid concerns that saline water inflow in such seafront properties are corroding the foundations.