Residents at a condominium complex in Central Florida were forced to relocate Wednesday after an inspection deemed the structure unsafe because walkways were at risk of collapsing, authorities said.
Osceola County officials said 72 units in multiple buildings were deemed safety threats at Images Condominiums in Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando.
An inspection at the complex determined that “walkways are in danger of collapse and could represent a threat to the safety of the public,” officials said.
“Osceola County acted quickly in the best interest of public safety by declaring the structure unsafe on Wednesday morning, which was immediate action after it learned of the engineering report performed on behalf of the Condominium Association/management company,” the statement read.
NBC affiliate WESH in Orlando found a staircase at one of the buildings was supported by a frame of 2-by-4’s on the first level of a three-story building. There were also signs posted inside the complex warning that some of the buildings were unsafe and should not be entered, the news station reported.
Osceola officials said they were helping residents find temporary housing.
Kissimmee is more than 200 miles north of the Miami-area community of Surfside, where the Champlain Towers South building partially collapsed last week. As of Thursday evening, the confirmed death toll and the number of unaccounted residents was at 145.