The Limassol Municipality carried out another sweep of the city, identifying more than 400 buildings as dangerous to life.
Municipal officials sent warning letters to the owners of the emergency facilities.
The municipal engineer stressed that of the total number of buildings inspected, 130 posed a serious threat to human safety. This statement was made against the background of a recent incident in the Neapolis neighbourhood, where a balcony collapsed from the fourth floor of a building. Representatives of the municipality, police and fire brigade quickly arrived on the scene to protect others. Engineers carried out an inspection, determined the cause of the collapse and made recommendations for remedial action. The authorities noted that the building had been inspected previously, but the owners and the management committee had failed to carry out repairs.
According to the Limassol Municipal Council, out of 400 emergency properties, only 15% of owners started repairs immediately, 25%said they would do so later and 60% ignored the orders.
It has to be said that most of the shelters in Limassol are located in the area of the historical centre or Neapolis.
They were built between 1974 and the mid-1990s, when the anti-seismic code began to be applied in the country. Today, many buildings in Limassol are in a state of disrepair due to poor quality construction, time and lack of proper repairs.
Municipal engineers involved in assessing the condition of the houses have found that standards were not met during construction and that the load-bearing structures, floor slabs and balconies are in very poor condition. Cracks have appeared in the concrete due to oxidation of the reinforcement. Moisture enters the walls through the cracks and the metal oxidises even more. So the whole structure is gradually deteriorating and collapsing. Interestingly, in some cases the owners have not yet contributed their share of the money to secure their own buildings. As a result, they can't sell or rent the house until they pay their debt to the municipality. Under current legislation, owners who refuse to repair emergency properties can face up to one year in prison and/or a fine of up to €20,000.
Limassol Municipality has called on owners of unsafe buildings to contact the authorities and work together to take measures to protect residents and passers-by.
If you notice that your house is becoming an emergency, there are cracks, the paint is peeling, call 25 884300, 25 884311 (Municipal Technical Service) or 25 884331 (Municipal Residents' Service Office).