Decorative column of residential building collapses

A decorative column in the corridor of a residential building on Travessa do Almirante Sérgio in the Inner Harbor area has collapsed. The Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) has determined that there is no immediate danger to the overall structure of the building.

The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) issued a press release yesterday, stating that the column “collapsed suddenly.”

The IAM explicitly clarified that the incident was not related to the ongoing road resurfacing and sewer maintenance works around the building. It noted – “At the time of the incident, the road maintenance workers were preparing for concrete pouring, and no excavation was being carried out.”

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a location where road works were in progress.

The IAM statement referenced the DSSCU, which indicated that the collapse was initially assessed as involving an unreinforced, non–load–bearing decorative column without a foundation. It was noted that this column was not connected to the structural parts of the building by steel bars.

The IAM also stated that it has requested the contractor to re–inspect the safety of the construction area – temporarily reinforce another decorative column – and reinstall the fallen decorative column.

“The cause of the incident is still under further analysis and investigation by the relevant authorities,” the IAM stated.