The Housing and Environment Committee of the Riga City Council will hold a meeting on Tuesday, January 6, at 1:00 PM, during which a decision will be made on further actions following the explosion in the building located at Bauskas Street 15 in the Torņakalns area, the Riga City Council's External Communication Department reported to the LETA agency.
"At the committee meeting, we will assess the assistance already provided to residents and discuss further steps to support Riga residents who have lost their homes. It is also necessary to urgently consider the issue of improving the municipality's ability to conduct more frequent inspections of rental apartments and the obligation for tenants to obtain civil insurance," emphasized the committee chair Elina Treija.
As previously reported, on Friday, an explosion occurred in a five-story apartment building due to a damaged gas pipeline, resulting in the collapse of the fourth and fifth floors, as well as the roof. According to preliminary information, two people died, and several others were injured.
Currently, work is ongoing in the building to eliminate the danger. Until a conclusion is received from a certified construction expert, the operation of the building affected by the explosion is prohibited.
The Riga municipality is providing assistance to both evacuated residents and participants in the rescue operations.
More than 40 people have been evacuated from the affected building. Initially, they were given the opportunity to take shelter in "Rīgas satiksme" buses, and now all possible assistance is being provided.
In total, 23 residents have taken advantage of the municipality's offer for temporary accommodation in a hotel.
Several pets that residents brought outside have been taken to shelters.
The building is managed by SIA Latvijas Namsaimnieks, which has 74 apartments, four of which belong to the municipality. According to unofficial information, the explosion occurred due to an illegal gas connection in one of the apartments owned by the municipality.
If a building is uninhabitable after a fire or other emergency, the Riga municipality offers apartment owners both social assistance and the possibility of temporary accommodation.
Evacuated residents are entitled to receive a crisis allowance, which can be requested within two months from the date of the crisis situation.
Residents are also invited to contact the Social Service if they need other assistance, such as clothing, food packages, document recovery, or other social support.
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