A report into the Marshall Islands' ailing government building has identified lack of maintenance as a major contributing factor to its decline.
The 150-page report by a Honolulu-based engineering firm found structural damage to columns and the roof on the fourth floor has reached an extent where it is unsafe to occupy.
Our correspondent in the Marshall Islands Giff Johnson, says that floor has not been used for several years but hundreds of government department employees use the lower floors of the 20-year-old building.
He says the report cites 20 years as the point at which that sort of building requires a major reinvestment.
"But on top of that situation is the fact that there's been very little maintenance done over the years and this is something that's highlighted in the report, that the lack of regular maintenance has definitely increased the pace of detoriation of the capital building."
Giff Johnson says the report also noted the building's lack of fire protection.
