In Kutná Hora, Šultysova Street has collapsed

photo: Josef Vostárek

Kutná Hora - In Kutná Hora, the pavement collapsed on Šultysova Street. The crater near the Marian column has a diameter of six meters and a depth of at least four. No one was injured in the incident. The ground collapsed into historic cellars or medieval mines. The street has been closed, and specialists are examining the site, said Deputy Mayor Jiří Franc to ČTK.
     The depression appeared on Wednesday evening and initially had a diameter of about one meter or one and a half. The city secured it to prevent anyone from falling in. However, by morning, the crater had expanded to about a diameter of six meters, with a visible depth of about four meters. "It's being stabilized; the pit is being reinforced around the edges to prevent further collapses and to clarify where the uncertain pavement ends," said Franc.
     According to him, the cause was certainly not a burst pipe; it was more likely a collapse into the historic cellars, which in Kutná Hora often extend deep underground, or into medieval mines. However, the Deputy Mayor could not rule out the possibility that both scenarios occurred simultaneously. In the pit, one can see both archaeological material in the form of historical shards and gravel. "It's a collapse down into the depths; a large amount of soil has disappeared there," Franc noted.
     The cause of the collapse has been examined since morning by experts from the construction and mining offices and mining specialists. If it were proven that it was a collapse into a medieval mining structure, the repair would be financed by the Ministry of the Environment. If it is a collapse into historic cellars, the costs would fall on the city. Franc estimated the reconstruction period to be about a month.
     The pit is being guarded, and the cellars of nearby houses are also being checked simultaneously. These buildings are also being assessed for structural integrity. "But these are more like preventive measures," he added. Due to the collapsed pavement, some utilities have been interrupted, so nearby residents currently do not have water.
The former royal mining town, whose historic core is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and its medieval mining monuments are visited by a large number of tourists every year. Šultysova Street was the largest public space in Kutná Hora before the establishment of today's Palackého náměstí.