Five arrested over apartment building collapse in Petralona
Five people have been arrested over the collapse of a four-storey apartment building in Petralona, including the building owner and the contractor. A case file has been compiled for urban planning violations.
Five arrested over apartment building collapse in Petralona
Police have arrested five people involved in the collapse of a four-storey apartment building at 22 Alkimini Street in Petralona. Those arrested include the building's owner, the works contractor, the engineer overseeing the project, and two other individuals.
A case file has been compiled against them under Article 286 of the Criminal Code, which concerns unlicensed construction and urban planning violations. The detentions that had been carried out earlier were converted into arrests.
The collapsed building was four storeys tall and contained seven apartments, where a total of six families lived. At the time of the incident, there was no one inside the building, with the result that there were no casualties. Fire service personnel who rushed to the scene conducted extensive searches in the rubble to rule out the possibility of people being trapped.
Initially, information circulated about four people trapped, however fire service inspections confirmed that all residents together with workers had left the building without injury. The rescue operation concluded successfully.
According to statements made by Athens Deputy Mayor Panayiotis Charlaitis, on the plot numbered 20 there was a demolition permit and subsequently a construction permit was issued. For plot 22, where the apartment building that collapsed was located, no inspection had been carried out nor had a report been issued regarding hazard or unlicensed construction. He assessed that the collapse was likely caused by some error during excavation in the basement of the adjacent plot.
Source: Naftemporiki
Source: Naftemporiki