HOUSES built on a hill in Chlorakas could collapse due to poor construction of a retaining wall, experts warned yesterday.
More than 22 houses have sustained minor or serious damage due to poor construction, and most residents have had to abandon their homes.
Most of the British residents were yesterday unwilling to comment on the issue, but one said the housing estate had been problematic from day one.
“I bought this house 14 years ago: we have been having trouble with it for the last 12 years with the walls moving and different things happening,” the resident said.
“If you go out in the orchard you will see that the retaining wall is buckling outwards and down. This was before the houses were finished. They should have finished the houses properly. Apart from that, we never had any other problems,” she added.
“And then on Wednesday, I was sitting inside reading the paper when the porch broke open,” she said.
“None of us saw it but we were shocked to discover what had happened and ever since then a lot of people have moved out because they are scared the house might collapse,” the resident said.
The resident said people had been complaining to the company that built the houses for nearly 12 years, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
“They only sent someone round yesterday, who said that they would start repairing the wall in 24 hours,” the resident said.
Local authorities confirmed they were aware of the problem, but said they were powerless to intervene, since the housing estate was built on private plots of land and not public property.
Local council engineer Costas Karapanos said residents were advised to take their case to the Paphos District Office.
“We advised them to put their complaints to the District Officer, and they did,” he said.
“I can tell you that the District Officer asked and received the relevant study for the construction of the retaining wall.
“They found that the study was not satisfactory and the company had to submit another more complete study, which is being examined and we are waiting for the results,” he said.
A civil engineer told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that the buckling of the retaining wall was the result of land shifting as a result of improper planning and construction, and that there was a danger the entire row of houses supported by it could collapse if the wall was not repaired.
“It is a result of bad workmanship and bad planning,” he said.
“This is very dangerous, but it is repairable. If, however, they don’t fix it soon and we have more torrential rains like we did recently, there is a danger that the houses could completely collapse.”
The civil engineer said the wall had to be torn down and rebuilt as soon as possible, but advised people not to panic and to remain in their homes.
