Authorities evacuated six families residing in apartments on Las Carreras Avenue. They are not ruling out relocating other residents as a precaution.
SANTIAGO.- Technicians investigating the causes of the collapse that occurred last Tuesday in a retaining wall on Las Carreras Avenue in this city, determined that it occurred because the drainage in the area was clogged.
Alexis Sosa, director of the Ministry of Public Works in Santiago, told Diario Libre yesterday that structural engineers are still investigating to determine if the other end of the structure also has damage.
The official explained that they are working full time to enable vehicular traffic through Las Carreras, one of the busiest land routes in the city, and that the goal is to decongest traffic in the Historic Center.
Employees of the contracting company in charge of repairing the collapsed retaining wall placed several supports yesterday, Thursday, to prevent the structure from continuing to collapse.
It consists of several steel pieces that support the affected area.
Cause of the collapse
Preliminary findings by technicians indicate that the collapse occurred due to a water current, caused by rainfall, which had nowhere to escape because the area's drains were clogged.
Sosa believes that these systems became clogged due to a lack of maintenance.
The affected structure extends from the lower part of the city to the area of the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration (west-east direction).
As a result of the wall collapse, authorities evacuated six families residing in apartments on Las Carreras Avenue. They are not ruling out relocating other residents as a precaution.
