Those affected by building collapse in Villa Mella demand answers from MINERD after nine months
Uncertainty grips the families residing in Villa Mella, who, nine months after the collapse of a three-story building, continue to wait for a definitive response from the Ministry of Education (MINERD). The owners of the affected properties denounced that the institution has used bureaucratic hurdles to delay the housing solution they were promised after the incident.
The case was exposed by Janeiri Figueroa and Lorenzo, two of those affected, who shared their distressing situation during their appearance on the program Esto No es Radio. As they explained, the collapse, which occurred on March 3rd, was a direct consequence of the excavations carried out by the MINERD to build a daycare center on an adjacent plot of land, a project that has been stalled for 12 years.
Ignored warnings and negligence on the construction site
The building, which had three floors and nine apartments, was over three decades old and represented the heritage and livelihood of several families, including elderly people who depended on the rent. The complainants maintain that the tragedy could have been avoided if the authorities had listened to the neighbors’ warnings about the excessive proximity of the machinery to the structure’s foundations.
They were told that they were doing that work too close. The machinery was digging and my father-in-law warned them that they were getting too close to the building, which already showed obvious cracks.
Janeiri Figueroa, affected by the collapse.
Although the engineer in charge of the project ignored the warnings, the quick reaction of the residents, who evacuated the building just 48 hours before the collapse, prevented a human tragedy. However, those affected pointed out that this is not an isolated event, as at least three other single-story homes had previously collapsed in the same area due to the same excavation work.
So far, the owners are still waiting for concrete government action that will allow them to recover the stability lost almost a year ago.
