SURFSIDE, Fla. — Tuesday in Surfside brought no luck, no miracles and still no answers in the tragic collapse of the Champlain South Towers condominium.

Tuesday's rescue efforts found no survivors and one additional fatality, bringing the death toll to 12. Officials say 149 people are still missing.

But Tuesday also brought mounting questions in the small beachside town-turned-global epicenter of a tragic and historic rescue-and-recovery mission. How did the 40-year-old condo tower crumble? Why were the increasing signs of destruction and disrepair repeatedly ignored?

Rosalia Cordaro is a resident and owner at Champlain Tower South. She and her husband were in New York for business Thursday when their beach condominium spontaneously collapsed.

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"Someone called us at 6 o'clock in the morning, and I thought it was a joke," Cordaro said before breaking down. "I'm so sorry. I'm just so angry."

For at least a year, Cordaro said she had complained about issues with the building. Her front door didn't close properly. She noticed cracks.

"Under our balcony was a big, big crack that we complained about, but they just said they have to renovate everything so it will be OK, don't worry," she said over Zoom from her home in New York.

But she says she was never told of serious problems that were described as "major structural damage" by an engineering firm hired to inspect the building as part of the tower's county-mandated 40-year certification.

The damage, which included drainage issues in the tower's garage and under the pool deck were documented in a structural field survey in 2018.

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"Absolutely not," Cordaro said when asked if she was ever told the building was unsafe.

She said she and her husband had just sent a $95,000 check to the building — their portion of the estimated $16 million renovations.

"Do you think we would give them money if the building was not good?" she said.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett admitted there were "serious issues" with the building.

Burkett was not the mayor in 2018 when the engineering report was released or when a former town building official described the condo as being in "very good shape" about a month after engineers flagged those "major" structural issues.

Lynne Sladky/AP

"We're all disturbed, to say the least, very disturbed," Burkett said.

He added that the town is in the process of digging through its archives and computer system to gather every document related to Champlain Tower South and its sister towers East and North.

Burkett also revealed Tuesday that the south tower was initially planned for 12 stories. He suggested a 13th-floor penthouse may have been a last-minute addition and said that town officials have yet to locate any plans for the 13th floor, he said.

"You design a building for 12 stories, and you add a 13th at the last minute; it's not a great idea," Burkett said.

When asked if he thought Surfside dropped the ball in protecting residents, Burkett said he hoped to answer that soon.

"We'll find out," he said. "We certainly will find out if the town dropped the ball."

This story was originally published by Katie LaGrone on Scripps station WPTV in Palm Beach, Florida.

SURFSIDE, Fla. — On Monday, the mayor of Surfside, Florida, shared a heartbreaking account of a little girl who's desperately hoping first responders will find her mother after last week's deadly condominium collapse.

Speaking at a news conference, Mayor Charles Burkett said he was touring the Champlain Towers site on Sunday night and came across a little girl who was 11 or 12 years old.

"One of her parents was in that building at the time of the collapse," Burkett said.

Burkett said the girl was sitting in a chair by herself, looking at her phone, as dozens of dedicated first responders dug through the mounds of dangerous rubble just feet away.

"I knelt down, and I asked her, 'What are you doing? Are you OK?'" Burkett said. "She was reading a Jewish prayer to herself, sitting at the site by where one of her parents presumably is. And that really brought it home to me. She wasn't crying. She was just lost. She didn't know what to do, what to say, who to talk to."

Burkett said he hopes to see her again and wants her to know the community is behind her.

"I am going to find her, and I am going to tell her that we're all here for her. And we're gonna do the best we can to bring out that parent," Burkett said.

Surfside mayor talks search-and-rescue efforts

Officials on Monday said that 10 people are dead and 151 are missing, four days after the Champlain Towers South condominium building partially collapsed. Officials added that they've accounted for 135 people who were in the building at the time of the collapse.

Emergency crews are working around the clock in 12-hour shifts using K9 dogs, various cameras, drones, sonar equipment, and heavy machinery to clear away chunks of debris.

"There's a joint effort, there's a camaraderie, and everybody has the same goal. And that's to pull people out of there," Burkett said.

Miami-​Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said, at this point, there are no plans to suspend the search-and-rescue operations.

"In the end, there are numerous variables and facts. It's not based on opinions; it's not based on time," Jadallah said. "We have to consider all options."

A large wall on Harding Avenue, just south of 88th Street in the shadow of the Champlain Towers, is growing on Monday, showing the names and photos of dozens of missing people.

Family members, friends, and even strangers stop by to pay their respects, light candles and leave small mementos behind.

One person even made a poster that reads "Thank You For Looking For My Grandmother."

WPTV

WPTV

WPTV

A Family Information and Reunification Center continues to operate at the Surfside Recreation Center, located at 9301 Collins Avenue, for people who are unable to locate their relatives who live in the building.

Loved ones can open a Missing Person Report by clicking here or calling 833-930-3701.

If you live at the Champlain Towers property or you know a person who lives there who has been found safe, click here.

This story was originally published by Matt Papaycik on Scripps station WPTV in Palm Beach, Florida.

SURFSIDE, Fla. (WPTV) -- The mother of a boy who was rescued from the rubble after a Surfside condominium building collapsed early Thursday has been identified as one of the victims.

Family members of Stacie Fang released a statement Friday confirming her death.

"There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie," the family said in a statement. "The members of the Fang and Handler family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received. The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much needed source of strength during this devastating time. On behalf of Stacie's son, Jonah, we ask you now to please respect our privacy to grieve and to try to help each other heal."

Fang, 54, died Thursday shortly after arriving at Aventura Hospital, NBC affiliate WTVJ reported.

Her 15-year-old son, Jonah Handler, was seen on video being pulled from the wreckage in the early morning hours after the collapse.

Handler plays baseball at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.

His condition wasn't immediately known, but sources told WPLG that he was in a hospital, possibly with broken bones.

At least four people are dead and 159 people were still missing as of Friday morning.

This story originally reported by Peter Burke on WPTV.com.