A sinkhole of eight meters in Putxet forces the evacuation of four properties

BarcelonaA sinkhole of eight meters in the Putxet neighborhood of Barcelona has forced the evacuation of four buildings this morning. The events took place before 11 a.m. when the Barcelona Fire Department received a report of a collapse in an interior courtyard at 4 Rubinstein street, in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district. At the moment, there is no record of the sinkhole having caused any injuries.

Work is currently being carried out in the area for the L9 metro construction. In March, the tunnel boring machine to excavate the tunnel reached Sant Gervasi de Cassoles street in the direction of Lesseps. It is a machine that is 100 meters long and twelve meters in diameter.

Mercedes works in an office on the mezzanine of one of the affected buildings. She explains to ARA that, between 9:30 and 10 in the morning, a worker from the L9 construction site asked them if they had noticed any damage. It was then that she realized that a door was not closing and that the floor had lifted. After a while, the firefighters asked them to evacuate the building.

The neighbors, many of whom have taken refuge in the Sant Gervasi Market —just in front of the affected buildings— report that for days the tunnel boring machine's work had been causing some problems. Mari Carmen, for example, explains that in her garage (in a building not yet affected) cracks have appeared for days. Mercedes also explains that a few days ago a section of the Sant Gervasi de Cassoles sidewalk also lifted. An incident that, she says, they already linked to the construction work.

Six fire crews

6 fire crews (2 tanks, 3 command vehicles and an ambulance) have been dispatched to the scene to work in the area. A hole about 8 meters in diameter has been detected there, which currently affects an interior patio and a small warehouse.

As a precaution, four buildings have been evacuated: two on Rubinstein street and two more on Teodora Lamadrid street. Firefighters are currently working to stabilize the hole and to work on the stabilization of the entire area. For the accident, teams from the Barcelona Center for Social Emergencies and Urgencies (CUESB) have been activated, and the deputy mayor and district councilor Maria Eugènia Gay has been dispatched to the scene.

Currently, the CUESB is transferring the affected residents to the Vil·la Florida civic center. However, some are going to the homes of relatives or friends, anticipating that it may be a long time before they can return home.