The second and third floors of caicobe building they are the most compromised for being the epicenter of the detonation that occurred this Friday morning in the Villa Biarritz neighborhood, near Punta Carretas. Operators remove debris and objects that flew everywhere after the noise that surprised residents of the area.
The National Director of Firefighters, Ricardo Riaño, confirmed that there is “an imminent risk of collapse” of floors two and three. That indicates the need for “slow and progressive” work by officials, she added.
“It has to be very slow, very carefully, the security issue is present in all our actions. And we have to take precautions because we have two slabs dislodged from the structure itself that can collapse at any time, “he said.
For his part, the director of Building Safety of the Municipality of Montevideo, Andrés Fernández, told Telemundo (channel 12) that “There may be collapses of the affected slabs, but that does not have to affect the building”.
structural damage
The building is closed. The third floor slab “is particularly damaged and perforated, so there may be an imminent detachment; the second and fourth are also compromised,” indicates a report released this Friday afternoon by the Ministry of the Interior.
eleven wounded
Four were slightly injured and are under observation in medical institutions. Four others had minor injuries and were released at the scene.
The Hidalgo building, which is the edge of the epicenter, has the third floor closed. The authorities allowed inhabitants of the other levels to enter in a controlled manner, floor by floor.
Other surrounding buildings are being assessed, as the blast wave affected at least seven structures at different levels.
Meanwhile, Firefighters continue to use a scanner to rule out any victim in the affected building, added the official part.
police surveillance
The Montevideo Police Headquarters established a permanent police presence in the area, with both foot and vehicular patrols, the ministry said.
