Etek calls for urgent building safety measures

The Scientific and Technical Chamber (Etek) urged the competent authorities to take necessary actions to ensure the safety of buildings falling under their jurisdiction after a balcony collapsed in an apartment building in Limassol on Wednesday.

Additionally, they pressed for the immediate establishment of a routine inspection framework for buildings across the country.

In light of the incident, Etek reiterated that “the country stands at a critical point for implementing measures to prevent such incidents and safeguard human lives.”

“The existing buildings are often aged and poorly maintained, a situation exacerbated by a lack of maintenance culture observed in Cyprus,” a statement released by Etek said.

The statement also stressed that the absence of maintenance, as evident from the growing instances of building parts collapsing, could have tragic consequences for both the building occupants and passersby.

Etek also called upon building owners, who bear the responsibility for maintaining safe structures, to conduct inspections with the help of qualified professionals and proceed with necessary repair and maintenance work where deemed essential.