The heart of Los Cristianos hosted on Sunday an event to remember and pay tribute to the seven people who lost their lives in the collapse of the building located at number 12 Amalia Alayón Street in the coastal town on April 14, 2016.
The mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes, presided over this emotional event accompanied by several members of the municipal corporation, the former president of the building’s residents association, Ánima Marrero, as well as members of the security forces, Guardia Civil, National Police, Local Police, Civil Protection, among others.
The commemoration included a minute of silence and the laying of flowers and candles next to the wall surrounding the now empty plot where the five-story building stood, whose structure collapsed unexpectedly at 9:31 am on that fateful Thursday eight years ago.
In addition to causing the death of seven people, the collapse of the building forced the evacuation of another ninety, also from adjacent buildings, and mobilised 250 personnel during several days of rescue operations.
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A report commissioned by the Arona City Council indicated that the works carried out by the now-defunct Banesto bank in 2001 and 2002 to remove walls and add windows on the ground floor of the building could be the main cause. The renovations caused cracks in the walls of some of the 28 apartments that made up the building, but a study conducted at the request of the residents dispelled their concerns by arguing the good quality of the concrete.
