83 evacuated as cavity under German building poses collapse risk

Berlin [Germany], June 23: Eighty-three people in the western German city of Essen had to leave their homes during the night because the safety of their building could not be guaranteed, a spokesman for the Essen fire brigade said on Saturday morning. A cavity had been discovered underneath the building, Nico Blum explained. The fire brigade's operation began at around 10 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday and ended at around 3 am on Saturday. Access to a more than 100-year-old ventilation tunnel from the region's mining history is located under the multi-storey building in the city's Freisenbruch district, a city spokeswoman explained. The mining authorities carried out exploratory drilling in the area last week. The cavity was discovered in the process. Experts from the building inspectorate then ordered the evacuation of the house on Friday evening after a thorough inspection. (dpa)
Source: Qatar Tribune