Official explanations from Bucharest City Hall: The huge crack in the apartment building in Drumul Taberei is approximately nine years old and was allegedly caused by problems with the sewage system

Bucharest City Hall reported on Saturday that the crack observed in the OD3 apartment building in Drumul Taberei has existed for approximately nine years and was reportedly not caused by the quality of the construction, but by sewerage problems. Several people were evacuated after the crack was observed between two stairwells, from the fifth floor to the eighth floor, and the authorities are investigating the situation.

The municipality maintains that the building, constructed in 1964, was assessed in 2017 and 2020. The documents reportedly indicated sewerage leaks, which must be remedied by the owners because the installations are privately owned. On Saturday, the Municipal Administration for the Consolidation of Buildings with Seismic Risk sent a technical expert to the site.

The consolidation project was prepared in 2021, and the technical and economic indicators, worth 44.59 million lei, were approved by the General Council. The works were to be financed through the NRRP and last 14 months, but the residents refused the proposed solution, considering it too invasive. In 2023, the owners redid the assessment, but did not resume the proceedings with AMCCRS. City Hall states that, out of 2,800 buildings assessed, 415 are classified as seismic risk class I.