“For seven months now there have been cracks and subsidence in 35 apartment buildings in central Athens, in Kypseli. The competent minister himself has stated that he would not have his families live here. And yet, apparently, there is inertia and there is no development whatsoever to reassure these people.”
This was emphasized by Alexis Tsipras after the visit he made this morning to Kypseli and the meeting with tenants of the apartment buildings, which have suffered serious problems from the Tunnel Boring Machine.
“I saw cracks, doors that do not close, frames that have come loose”, he said after the mini inspection he carried out, being an engineer himself as well, stating categorically: “not here either the ‘let’s go and see where it ends up’ logic”.
“We cannot play with the safety of residents, neither in Kypseli nor anywhere”, he stressed during the discussion he had with the tenants, noting that there is already a certified problem in the load-bearing structure of the buildings according to engineers.
“You are absolutely right. Look, there are two issues here. One is not to get entangled in the technical matters, in the safety terms of the consortium and under what conditions and whether it should have been earlier or later, to see that now, at this moment, there is a given fact. The fact is that you have cracks in the load-bearing structure of the buildings. Which is certified, not only by yourselves, but by engineers who have the knowledge and can certify this damage. Therefore, beyond the responsibilities of the company, which is another story, here we must see what must be done immediately, so that you can live with your families safely.
The way I would say this should be done is to stop hiding the data. First, let the geologists see them. The second is for the relocation to be launched immediately, with money, at the expense of the state, for as long as needed, in order for the necessary technical procedures to reinforce the load-bearing structure of the buildings to be carried out, so that the buildings become safe again. And of course this must be done quickly at the expense of the state.”
Presenting the picture he encountered, he said: “Now as for what I saw. I saw homes that have cracks also in the load-bearing structure, that is, in columns and beams. I saw doors that do not close, I saw frames that have come loose.
Now, those who are competent, however, in a certified and technically valid way to give the opinion on whether the buildings are habitable or not are the competent engineers of the Technical Chamber, who must immediately give an answer as to whether the buildings are yellow or red or green. Those that are green, all well and good. But for the yellow and the red ones we must immediately ensure the safety of the residents.”