In Holešovice, an apartment building Prague Marina was evacuated yesterday

photo: David Marvan

Prague - About 30 tenants of a five-story apartment building were evacuated in Prague's Holešovice district on Sunday. The reason was suspicion that the building has compromised structural integrity. The police are investigating the case for suspicion of committing a criminal act of general danger due to negligence. This was reported today by police spokesperson Jana Rösslerová. The investor of the construction has provided alternative accommodation for the tenants in nearby hotels.
      The case was reported by one of the tenants who heard strange noises in the structure of the building and feared the collapse of the house. A structural engineer was sent to the site, who decided on the evacuation of four entrances as well as another apartment building connected to the one in question.
      The buildings are being examined this morning by a structural engineer and other experts, who, according to Rösslerová, could decide whether the tenants will be able to return. The police are investigating the case for suspicion of committing a criminal act of general danger due to negligence. "The perpetrator then faces up to eight years in prison for this crime," the spokesperson stated. The police will also have expert evaluations prepared in the fields of construction, structural engineering, and metallurgy, which will be used in the investigation of the case.

Structural Engineer: Evacuated Residents in Prague Cannot Return
Prague - Without repairs to part of the Prague Marina development project, which was evacuated on Sunday evening, its residents cannot return. Václav Kučera, a structural engineer from the Building Testing Institute, who inspected the building on Sunday, told ČTK. According to Metrostav, about a quarter of the columns supporting the building have deformed. Approximately 30 tenants were evacuated from the building in Holešovice, and the police are investigating the case for suspicion of committing a criminal act of general danger due to negligence.
      The investor of the building has secured alternative accommodation for the tenants in nearby hotels. "Before the repairs, (the residents) will not be able to return; repairs will be necessary. I wouldn’t dare speculate how extensive they will be, as the documentation was not available, but it will likely be significant," Kučera told ČTK.
      The builder of the luxurious Prague Marina project, which was completed in recent years, is the company Metrostav. "Each section is supported by slanted columns; about a quarter of them have deformed. Not significantly, but they have deformed. We are securing and supporting them today," said Metrostav spokesman František Polák to ČTK. "We were all surprised, as nothing had happened there until now," the spokesperson added. Metrostav is currently unable to estimate how long the repairs will take. According to Polák, after securing, part of the structure will need to be uncovered to determine the cause.

photo: Josef Šálek

      The Prague Marina project has built 338 apartments along the embankment near the Holešovice harbor, most of which have already been sold. An approximately ninety-square-meter apartment sells for five million crowns, but there are also apartments of 200 square meters, priced at over 15 million crowns.
      The case was reported on Sunday by police spokesperson Jana Rösslerová, who stated it was one of the tenants who heard strange noises in the building's structure and feared the collapse of the house. A structural engineer was sent to the scene, who decided on the evacuation of four entrances as well as another apartment building connected to it.
      The police are investigating the case for suspicion of committing a criminal act of general danger due to negligence. "The perpetrator then faces up to eight years in prison for this crime," the spokesperson stated. The police will also have expert evaluations prepared in the fields of construction, structural engineering, and metallurgy, which will be used in the investigation of the case.