The collapsed block in Calea Rahovei will be rebuilt by the City Hall. Homes remain people's
Interim Mayor Stelian Bujduveanu announces that the block in Calea Rahovei will be rebuilt by the Capital City Hall, and the homes will remain in the ownership of the people. The draft normative act is to create the legal framework for rapid interventions in emergency situations.
Stelian Bujduveanu, press statements in front of Dimitrie Bolintineanu High School. Photo: The truth
The Acting General Mayor of the Capital, Stelian Bujduveanu, announced that the Government is preparing a normative act that will allow the Bucharest City Hall to rebuild buildings affected by catastrophes, without the owners losing their ownership rights. The statement comes after discussions with Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and Minister of Development, Cseke Attila.
The block in Calea Rahovei will be rebuilt, the tenants keep their property
“We will rebuild people's buildings, remaining in their ownership”Bujduveanu emphasized, in a message intended to clarify the confusion that arose after the Ministry of Development proposed that the new apartments in the block on Calea Rahovei be rented to the former owners.
The mayor explained that currently there are procedures for strengthening buildings, but not for their reconstruction in exceptional cases, such as an explosion. Through the new legal framework, the City Hall would be able to act directly, through a Local Emergency Intervention Plan, to quickly rebuild the destroyed buildings.
Temporary accommodation of affected families
Families evacuated from the affected block benefit from temporary hotel accommodation and medium- and long-term relocation, according to the interim mayor. “P12 families are being relocated long-term and we want all 54 families to have a place to live for the next few years as soon as possible”declared the mayor of the capital.
The Ministry of Development is preparing the legal framework
The Ministry of Development proposed a draft government decision that creates the legal framework for the reconstruction of the block affected by the October 17 explosion. The act stipulates that the financing will come from the state budget, and the reconstructed apartments will be offered for rent to the former owners, with the possibility of later sale.
Minister Cseke Attila explained that, in the absence of an existing legal framework, the state could not intervene for the complete reconstruction of the building. “I worked from Saturday to Tuesday to create this legislative project that would allow the financing of the reconstruction of the block, if the technical expertise will recommend total demolition”he stated.
Responsibility of the guilty
The minister specified that the persons responsible for the explosion will be obliged to cover the material damage, after the completion of the investigation. “Someone will have to pay the value of those apartments when the legal proceedings are over”Cseke Attila pointed out.
The explosion in Calea Rahovei, which occurred on October 17, completely destroyed a block of flats and severely damaged the surrounding buildings. Dozens of families were evacuated, and the authorities are investigating the exact causes of the explosion.
The explosion in Rahova: what happens to the property rights of tenants
After dozens of families were left homeless following the explosion on Calea Rahovei, the central and local authorities are working on a legal framework that would allow the reconstruction of the block without the owners losing their right to the homes.
The spokeswoman for the Government, Ioana Dogioiu, explained on Thursday that the state “doesn't want to own people's houses”but the situation raises complex legal issues. “This is the first time that the question of demolishing a block so damaged that it can no longer be repaired is raised. The misfortune is that those houses are gone and with them the right of ownership”said Dogioiu.
According to her, the normative act developed by the Ministry of Development is still under public debate, and specialists from the Government and local administration are looking for solutions so that the tenants can become owners again after the reconstruction of the building.
Funding and investigation ongoing
The Ministry of Development will finance the demolition and reconstruction of the building “in the same configuration”, from the state budget. At the same time, the person responsible for the explosion will be obliged to bear the full compensation, after the completion of the investigation.
The explosion occurred in the evening of October 17, in the block of Calea Rahovei, completely destroyed the building and seriously damaged other buildings in the area. Several people were injured and dozens of families were left homeless. According to IGSU, the probable cause is a gas build-up in the building's basement, and investigations are ongoing.
