Barcelona residents begin returning to homes after Metro L9 sinkhole

Residents of the building at 54 Sant Gervasi de Cassoles in Barcelona have been granted permission to return to their homes following a sinkhole caused by Metro Line 9 construction works. Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni confirmed that the return process is voluntary and will be conducted in a gradual, staggered manner, as ongoing technical works in the area may still cause noise and disturbances.

The sinkhole, which reached a depth of eight meters, forced the evacuation of approximately 300 residents across eight buildings in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district in early July. Currently, about 60% of the affected residents have received permission to return, while the remaining 40% are expected to wait until September.

While some families have already returned to buildings on Sant Gervasi de Cassoles and Rubinstein streets, four other buildings—located at Rubinstein 2 and 4, and Teodora Lamadrid 3 and 5—remain evacuated due to their proximity to the site and the detection of structural cracks and new cavities.