(EDIT: there is a more complete discussion in the Skybar - Current events)
While it is obviously too early to come to any definitive conclusions, it is possible soil subsidence under part of the building may have put too much stress on the structure.
A story from CBS4 Miami:
Condo Collapse: FIU Professor Found Surfside Building Had Been Sinking For Decades
Quote:
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In HIS report, he noted the tower was built 41 years ago on reclaimed wetlands. It was sinking at a rate of 2mm a year for three decades, and that may have an impact on the structure.
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The building may have started the process of collapse at least a day earlier:
Story from Huffpost:
Missing Woman Made Ominous Phone Call Before Miami Collapse
Quote:
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“She just told me she had woken up around 3, 4 in the morning and had heard like some creaking noises,” her son, Pablo Rodriguez, told CNN on Thursday after part of the 12-story building tumbled to the ground. “They were loud enough to wake her.”
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I seem to recall reading something to the effect that nearby construction may have also caused some cracks at Surfside's ground level.