The collapse of the roof of the hall in Česká Třebová was probably caused by a defect in the attachment of the trusses

Pardubice - The roof of the sports hall in Česká Třebová collapsed due to a likely defect in the attachment of wooden trusses. However, the police conclusions are not yet available. No decision has been made regarding the new structure. Michal Votřel, head of the property and building law department of the regional office, said today based on statements from experts hired by the Pardubice Region. "It is a question of whether the defect occurred during production, design, or due to the quality of the wood," he stated.

The police are investigating the incident as general endangerment due to negligence. The report from the court expert will be ready in a few weeks or months; according to Votřel, the police need to establish the criminal responsibility of specific individuals.

The roof collapsed on January 14 in the evening during a floorball tournament, just a few days after the new hall was officially opened. All eight dozen people managed to escape in time.

The roof of the hall, constructed with wooden trusses for the general contractor Profistav Litomyšl, was built by the subcontractor Cecolegno, specializing in wooden structures. The total damage has not yet been quantified, but it is unlikely to exceed 15 million crowns.

No decision has yet been made regarding the new roof structure. Options include a reinforced concrete structure, glued trusses, a steel structure, or a combination of steel and wooden trusses. According to Votřel, the regional authority will propose that wooden trusses be reused, although they will not be truss-like, but simple.

The Pardubice Region built the hall at a cost of 58 million crowns. It was intended to be used by the local Higher Vocational School and Technical Secondary School, which is located on its premises. The region is claiming for defects from the builder; repairs are estimated to take about six months.