The collapse of a terrace in a building on Carrer Campcardós in Girona left one woman seriously injured on Sunday and forced the evacuation of the family living on the first floor. At the time of the collapse, two women were inside a swimming pool installed on the roof.
The fall of the swimming pool, from more than three meters to the lower floor, opened a hole of about two by two meters. While the building shows significant damage and threatens further collapses, the Girona City Council maintains that it has no municipal investigation open into the origin of the incident and places the determination of the causes in the technical, private, and insurance spheres.
The swimming pool fell more than three meters and opened a two-by-two meter hole
One of the women suffered fractures and was evacuated by the SEM (Emergency Medical Service) in serious condition to the Josep Trueta hospital in Girona. She remains under observation and could be discharged if her condition improves.
The other affected person suffered minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital the same day. The initial intervention also involved the Municipal Police and the municipal architect, who went to the property to assess its condition and adopt safety measures.
Firefighters alerted to deteriorated joists and risk of collapse
The Generalitat Firefighters reported that the joists supporting the first floor are deteriorated. Furthermore, they indicated that the structure shows significant damage and that there is a threat of collapse.
Based on this assessment, municipal services managed the rehousing of a family of five, three of them minors, who resided on the evacuated first floor. Their return to the dwelling is conditional on proof that the building no longer poses a danger.
For now, the city council has required the owner to assess the damage and to take, or prove, the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the property. The presence of the swimming pool on the terrace and the general condition of the structure must also be evaluated, although no proven cause for the collapse is currently recorded.
The municipal requirement keeps a family of five, including three minors, out of their home until it is proven that there is no risk to the building's structure.