2024-08-07 12:49:44
- Everything happened in seconds, it was scary, say eyewitnesses to the incident in Kardzhali. Men broke the windows to get out
- More than 20 people passed through the emergency room, three patients remain for observation, but there is no danger to their lives
- Another 150 guests waited outside in their cars
Low-quality construction or the large amount of rain that fell in a short time are the probable reasons for the collapse of the ceiling of the wedding salon “Dolce Vita” on the outskirts of Kardzhali, according to construction specialists. Experts are yet to investigate how this happened.
The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, while a wedding party was being prepared at the restaurant.
“Everything happened in seconds. Water began to flow from the roof. There was a loud noise like thunder and the ceiling fell on us.
There was panic, people started screaming. Many of them had fallen
on the ground. I saw a little boy, I grabbed him and took him outside. That’s when I realized he was injured because blood was running down his pants,” said Asie Myumyun, who was in the wedding hall.
“We didn’t have time to react. Everything happened very quickly. My husband helped us out. My son was injured. He was admitted to the hospital with wounds on his head and legs,” said Semiha Yusein, mother of a 10-year-old child who is still in the hospital. Together with him, another 14-year-old child and an 80-year-old woman were left there under observation. All three are out of danger.
Men managed to break several of the windows of the building and most of the wedding guests got out. Others left the salon through a back entrance used by staff. There was no collapse in the kitchen and utility rooms of the building.
“We knew something was going on when we heard people shouting and screaming,” staff members said.
Minutes after the accident, ambulances arrived at the scene and transported 7 of the more seriously injured to the Kardjalija hospital. 20 people went through the emergency department with various injuries, mostly lacerations. There are patients with a broken palm and ankle.
The hospital made an organization and additional doctors and nurses were sent to the scene. They examined patients and treated their wounds until 11:30 p.m.
The two newlyweds were not injured. There were about 150 people in the hall at the time the ceiling collapsed. Many of the wedding guests, to which more than 300 were invited, remained in their cars in the parking lot outside the salon, waiting for the rain to stop.
“We were in the cars when people started coming out of the building. We asked what was going on and they told us the ceiling had collapsed.
My dad and my girlfriend were inside. We started calling them
on the phone and look for them. It was really scary,” said Gokai Huysman.
Builders explained that the suspended ceiling is a latticed metal structure that is attached to the roof with the help of dowels. On top of the construction are arranged boards, which are most often made of plasterboard. According to builders, the suspended ceiling became wet from the rainwater that penetrated into the interior of the building.
The first reason for this may be poor construction. The second – if the roof is flat and the water was in such a quantity that it could not drain to the side.
What is the specific cause of the accident, experts will indicate. The District Prosecutor’s Office has already appointed a full
verification of design and construction documentation
of the building and the preparation of forensic technical expertise. An on-site inspection was carried out immediately after the accident, and a second one was carried out on Tuesday.
“A large number of people who witnessed what happened are to be questioned. For the time being, there are no accused in the case”, said the spokesperson of the district prosecutor’s office in Kardzhali, Petya Chortova. She specified that in 24 hours under the Law on the Ministry of Internal Affairs, three men were detained – two men, aged 52 and 57, and a woman aged 46, as complicit in what happened. The case is under pre-trial proceedings
for negligent performance of official duties, but it was formed as a working version
At a later stage, if other violations are found, the text on which the investigating authorities will work may change.
The permit for the construction of the wedding salon “Dolce Vita”, which was one of the attractive ones in the city because it is located in the area of the Municipal grove, was issued by the chief architect of the municipality of Kardzhali on April 7, 2016. The client of the site is “Balkanstroy-Engineering” Ltd., represented by Jaylian Ali. The building was put into operation on March 26, 2020, according to the reference in the municipal administration.