The return home of the neighbors of the L9 sinkhole is postponed for at least a week

BarcelonaThe eviction of residents from the eight blocks affected by the sinkhole last Tuesday, caused by the works on metro line L9, is being extended. The Director General of Infrastructure of the Generalitat, Ramon Ramírez, explained that technicians have recommended carrying out new checks on the condition of the ground beneath the buildings where the hole occurred and, for this reason, residents will not be able to return to their homes until at least Friday of next week. The possibility of them returning this Saturday is thus ruled out.

Ramírez assured that the evolution of the controls of ground movements caused by the passage of the L9 tunnel boring machine is being "very positive". "We are very calm", he said, but added that for a matter of "maximum safety", and with the agreement of the different experts and administrations involved, it has been decided to carry out an extra "check" of the ground beneath the affected buildings. For Friday of next week, the situation will be reassessed and the next steps will be decided, thus opening the door to extending the residents' rehousing again.

"We are not rushing", limited himself to saying the third deputy mayor of Barcelona, Albert Batlle. While he acknowledged that they are in contact with the hotel industry in case any accommodation needs to be offered to those affected, he also made it clear that so far there has been no housing emergency alert arising from the incident. "Depending on how the next seven days evolve, we will make the necessary decisions", he insisted.

In parallel, the investigation continues to clarify the causes of the accident, although the Government currently rejects speculating on hypotheses. "We will not speculate on the causes of the incident, they are being evaluated," summarized Ramírez to justify the lack of specifics. Experts consulted by ARA pointed to the possibility that, due to some type of incident, the tunnel boring machine had generated a phenomenon known as a chimney.

What could have happened, according to this theory, is that the machine began to swallow more earth than necessary and ended up creating a void that grew vertically above it, which could have caused the sinkhole. The same experts pointed to the uncertainty surrounding how the ground has been left between the tunnel – at a depth of 40 meters – and the surface of the sinkhole, which has a depth of 4 meters. "It is key to know how these 36 meters are," they warned.

"Right now, our concern is not so much analyzing causes as resolving the situation," said Ramírez in statements this Friday. He explained, however, that the tunnel boring machine has not stopped or stopped working at any time, but that it is now advancing at "minimum speed" to be able to exit from under the affected homes with "absolute control." "All movement monitoring systems are very positive," he reiterated.

From the City Council, they assure that the "coverage" and "support" for the affected people will be maintained at all times. Batlle guaranteed the "full availability" of both the teams from the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district and the Firefighters, Civil Protection, and the Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgency Center (CUESB), where – he admitted – the required assistance has been "little." Likewise, he also offered the necessary technical and logistical advice to the commercial sector of the area – there are several affected commercial premises – whether with issues related to insurance, permits, or the suspension of tax payments.