Kolokotroni Street Closed Over Fears Athens Building Could Collapse

Kolokotroni Street in central Athens has been closed to traffic after part of an abandoned building collapsed on Thursday evening, amid fears that the entire structure could come down.

Police and the fire brigade closed the road as a precaution after a private engineer connected to the property warned of a risk of total collapse. Authorities said they shared those concerns.

No injuries have been reported.

Internal collapse

The partial collapse affected an interior wall of the building, on the side facing its inner courtyard, according to Greek media reports. The owner had recently begun renovation work on the property.

“From what it seems, the collapse must be internal,” said Panagiotis-Paris Charlaftis, Deputy Mayor for Technical Services at the Municipality of Athens, who visited the scene.

The building is reported to be listed as a protected heritage building, although Charlaftis said this had yet to be confirmed.

“Safety issues must have been raised long ago”

Scaffolding, protective sheeting and a partial closure of the pavement were already in place outside the building before Thursday’s collapse.

Charlaftis said these measures suggested that concerns about the building’s condition were not new. “Issues of safety and danger must have been raised long ago,” he said.

Road closed until further notice

Kolokotroni Street will remain closed until further notice, and at least until Friday morning, when an inspection team from the City of Athens Urban Planning Department is due to assess the building. Further measures will be decided after the inspection.

Drivers and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area.

The incident is the latest to highlight the condition of abandoned and neglected buildings in central Athens, many of them listed properties left empty for years.

Sources: Parapolitika

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