Saturday’s building collapse has prompted authorities and some property owners to take action, with repair works now being considered. The situation is considered particularly serious in the case of the SEA GATE apartment building, which has been deemed in need of immediate evacuation.
More and more dangerous buildings across Cyprus are coming to light following the Germasogeia tragedy, as authorities search for ways to prevent a possible new disaster. In Germasogeia and elsewhere, files relating to hazardous buildings are being reviewed, with priority placed on those considered most dangerous and requiring urgent intervention.
SOS for another apartment building in Germasogeia
Within this framework, a specific apartment building on Vasileos Georgiou Street in Germasogeia has been identified as an urgent priority, with the relevant authority preparing emergency letters to the owners calling for the immediate evacuation of the building due to safety concerns.
According to information obtained by Politis, the process will move extremely quickly. The evacuation letter, already prepared by the relevant authority, will be delivered to the owners by process servers, rather than by post, which had been the usual procedure until now.
The same sources indicate that residents will be given only three days to vacate the building. The evacuation and sealing of the building are expected to take place by Monday, in the presence of the police. The evacuation will remain in force until the building is no longer considered dangerous, meaning until the necessary repair works are completed.
All of the above concerns the SEA GATE apartment building, which for years has been causing problems both for the municipality and now for the district authority, as the owners have not been cooperating. The building has 12 different owners, the majority of whom do not appear willing to proceed with the necessary repairs.
During a site inspection yesterday by Politis, one of the owners, who lives elsewhere, presented his own account of the situation. According to him, he has already reached an agreement with a civil engineer for the required repairs and is prepared to cover the full cost himself, as he has received no response from the other owners.
He nevertheless accused the authorities of failing to assist, saying he is being forced to pay for everyone and later seek reimbursement through the courts from the other owners.
However, competent sources from both the district authority and the municipality strongly dispute these claims. They argue that the owner has his own motives, allegedly aiming to purchase all the apartments for investment purposesand not cooperating in the repair process, despite having been aware of the building’s dangerous condition for five years.
According to on-site reporting by Politis, rents in the building range between €550 and €700 per person. When asked about the letters he had received so far from the municipality and the district authority, the owner replied that they were written in Greek and that he does not know their content, as the matter is being handled by civil engineers.
The situation in Germasogeia
According to a list obtained by Politis from the Amathounta Municipality, there are nine additional apartment buildings classified as immediately dangerous. The same list also included the building on Aeschylou Street that collapsed.
Three apartment buildings located on the coastal avenue are considered extremely dangerous, including the SEA GATE building mentioned above. Other hazardous buildings have been identified on Myrtiotissis Street, Engomis Street, Kalliopis Street, Pelopos Street, and Dafnis Street.
Photographs published by Politis illustrate the situation, while all of these buildings remain in use and fully occupied. In some cases, maintenance works have already been carried out, but their dangerous condition has not been fully addressed.
During the on-site inspection, it was observed that only one building is currently undergoing extensive maintenance works, with its condition having significantly improved.
The picture in Germasogeia is particularly contradictory, as these buildings are located among luxury developments and high-rise towers constructed in the area in recent years.
Most residents in the dangerous buildings are tenants, primarily foreign nationals from third countries. None of the buildings carry any signage indicating that they are considered dangerous.