Bucharest apartment block evacuated due to structural cracks

Approximately 65 residents of an eight-story apartment building in the Drumul Taberei neighborhood of Bucharest's Sector 6 were preventively evacuated following the appearance of a large crack between two stairwells. The fissure, extending from the fifth to the eighth floor, was reported by a resident via an emergency call.

The building, constructed in 1963, is classified as having high seismic risk. While authorities are investigating whether the crack was caused by a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that occurred on October 19, experts from the State Inspectorate for Construction (ISC) have been called to assess the structural integrity of the building.

Preliminary findings from the State Inspectorate for Construction suggest that the building's structural resistance has not been compromised, allowing residents to eventually return to their homes. However, the Bucharest City Hall noted that the crack has existed for nine years and was previously attributed to issues with the building's private sewage system rather than construction quality. Officials stated that previous consolidation projects approved in 2021 were not implemented because residents had rejected the proposed methods as being too invasive.