In Olomouc, part of a gable wall collapsed, this time no one was injured

The author of the building of the former District Health Insurance Fund (1925-27) is Jindřich Kumpošt (1891-1968) photo: idnes.cz

Olomouc - This afternoon, a section of the gable wall collapsed from the Spea polyclinic in Olomouc. No one was buried under the rubble, as confirmed by dog handlers. The ambulance service did not need to intervene on site. Police and firefighters were present, with their work on site finishing in the evening. Tram traffic in the center was completely suspended for 3.5 hours. A similar incident occurred a few meters away last October. An eighty-seven-year-old woman died under the debris there at that time.
     The masonry collapsed on Legionářská Street, burying the sidewalk with bricks and concrete blocks. "A 20-meter long parapet collapsed onto the sidewalk of the house from a height of 15 meters. Firefighters immediately secured the scene, cordoning off the dangerous area with tape. An initial inspection revealed that there was no one under the rubble. Two dog handlers arrived on the scene, and their dogs searched the debris, ruling out the presence of people under the collapsed masonry," said firefighter spokesperson Vladimíra Hacsiková to ČTK.
     After an assessment by a structural engineer, about 30 people were evacuated from the entire building. "After the evacuation, firefighters began a controlled demolition of the loose masonry from the roof of the building. The firefighters then handed over the scene to the owner," their spokesperson said.
     According to police information, workers were conducting a construction survey on the roof of the polyclinic before the gable wall collapsed. According to information from ČTK, the police requested records from the surrounding street cameras and will investigate whether the construction work caused the collapse of the masonry. The police are investigating the causes and circumstances of the parapet collapse, police spokeswoman Irena Urbánková told ČTK. The accident also restricted traffic in the immediate vicinity of downtown Olomouc. Tram traffic in the direction from Prior to Náměstí Hrdinů was halted at the site of the collapse, tram lines traveling this route were diverted, and transport was ensured by alternative bus services. "As of 18:02, traffic has been fully restored," said a dispatcher of the transport company to ČTK. Car passage was also restricted.
     A similar incident occurred last October near the Prior department store on 8. května Street, one of the busiest streets in the city. An eighty-seven-year-old woman was trapped under the debris. She was buried by a part of the collapsed gable of one of the 19th-century houses. The senior citizen died at the scene.
     The case is still open. Initially, the police closed it, stating that they could not prove the commission of a crime. The state prosecutor returned it to them in May for further investigation. Police have prosecuted one of the builders for negligence causing death, but the prosecutor discontinued the prosecution. The man was originally held responsible for not having professional qualifications during the renovation of the house two years before the tragedy and for not detecting the wall's inclination. According to the prosecutor, he bears no responsibility for the accident.
     Following the tragedy, the city ordered inspections of other buildings in the center. Inspectors from the building authority found defects in nearly 50 buildings in the city conservation area. They discovered poor facades, as well as cracks, loose roof tiles, or missing masonry. Some owners promptly removed the defects.