The restoration of the building damaged by the gas explosion on Bauskas Street is still ongoing — a complete internal inspection of the building has not yet been conducted, and only after it can the residents make decisions about the future of the house.
The explosion in a five-story residential building on January 2 occurred due to an illegally damaged gas pipeline. As a result, the upper floors and the roof collapsed, residents were evacuated, several people were injured, and two died, remind TV3 News.
At the end of January, a certified construction expert's conclusion showed that the building could be restored. However, only in the near future, likely after the long May holidays, will experts and the residents themselves finally be able to enter the building to understand the real scale of the disaster. So far, markers have been regularly placed in the building to monitor possible shifts, and such checks need to continue.
"Only then can we say what is safe and what is not, what is moving and what is not. And what needs to be done, what needs to be reinforced. (Question: What is the opinion of the owners — to restore? Opinions are divided?) It’s complicated. There is a saying: where there are two Latvians, there are three parties. What do we want if there are at least 74 opinions here? Of course, there is no unity, but we must consider that without access to normal life, this creates quite a heavy psychological burden for people. I think the decisions will be more adequate and rational when we get inside and see the condition of the apartments. After all, no one knows what condition they are in!" said Andris Vikse, the authorized representative of the community of homeowners on Bauskas Street, 15.
The municipality owns several apartments in this building and helped to clear the huge debris of construction waste near the house, dismantle dangerous concrete blocks from the upper floor, and install supports from the basement to the fifth floor. Now, the possibility of a full internal inspection of the building is awaited.
"The first to enter the building will be representatives of the police as part of the investigation. Then representatives of the department will follow, who will assess the condition of the apartments," clarified Dace Ziediņa, the director of the Housing and Environment Department of the Riga City Council.
The municipality is optimistic and hopes that the apartment owners will be able to agree on the restoration of the property.
"When the incident occurred, measuring tapes were installed to monitor the movement of the building and whether the cracks are increasing. Currently, the dynamics are such that the cracks are not increasing. It can be concluded that the building is definitely subject to restoration, and we will certainly participate in this process," Ziediņa specified.
The residents of the building even have an idea of how to turn the current tragedy into a possible development of the building. One possible scenario is to build an additional floor: dismantle the damaged attic structures caused by the blast wave and create another level. This would increase the number of residents in the building, and with larger investments, the restoration and maintenance of the building would become easier.
