APARTMENT BUILDING COLLAPSE - THEY PAID €1,300 A MONTH FOR A DEATH TRAP - Filenews 15/4 by Ioanna Mantziipa
The amount of €1.300 per month was paid by three roommates for a three-room apartment that was to turn into a death trap, when the apartment building collapsed within a few minutes, on Holy Saturday. Two of our fellow human beings died tragically under the rubble, with the tragedy causing outrage and raising serious questions about the living conditions, but also the responsibilities of both the owners and the State itself.
According to the testimony of a friend of one of the victims, 27-year-old Stanley, the three roommates lived in this apartment on the second floor for more than two years, despite the serious problems it presented. As he complains, the owner was allegedly completely unaware of the condition of the building.
The young Greek Cypriot, who was in a relationship with the victim, tells us that several times they discussed the rent and the situation in the apartment, with the 27-year-old telling her that the owner did not show interest. On the contrary, as he tells us, last summer, a person who managed the apartment asked for an increase in rent from the three foreigners, citing renovations, which were never done.
"They were paying €1,300 a month, i.e. €450 each, for an apartment that was obviously unsuitable," she notes, adding that she had visited the site and had seen with her own eyes the poor condition of the building.
As he describes, the external image of the apartment building betrayed its age and dangerousness, while the problems inside were also intense. At the same time, according to her, another apartment on the first floor was also rented through an online platform, occasionally hosting foreigners, including Ukrainians and Russians.
"Stanley was the only one of the three roommates who systematically complained about the living conditions and the amount of rent in relation to the condition of the apartment. Disagreements between them were frequent, as one of the roommates kept in touch with the manager and did not share the same concerns. He told me that he didn't think they were paying so much money for something like that. He was tired of this whole situation," he says characteristically.
As she tells us, the 27-year-old wanted to leave the specific apartment and had asked her, if she found anything else, to inform him. She, looking back at some of the conversations she had with her friend, which she sent us, highlights their concerns about the apartment and the amount of rent.
The last communication they had was at 13:24 noon on Holy Saturday, a few minutes before the tragedy, when the 27-year-old told her that he had gone to train with a group of runners. "Around 13:10 he told me that he had come home after the run. We exchanged a few messages and the last one was at 13:24, since he was going to rest."
The victim's girlfriend's testimony sheds light on crucial aspects of the tragedy, highlighting the indifference to the building's condition. A tragedy that, as everything shows, could have been avoided, if the necessary protection measures had been taken in time.
The hospitality of the survivors of the tragedy in Germasogeia is undertaken by the Municipality of Amathus.
Following the government's decision to end the hospitality of the people who survived the tragic event of Holy Saturday, the Municipality of Amathus undertakes from today the continuation of their hospitality, until Sunday.
It is fully understood that these are people who have lost everything their home, their personal belongings, and even their money.
The Municipality of Amathus intervenes immediately to meet this need, hoping that the state will assume its responsibilities and show its social face, even the last one.
