Renovation work on a building in Corinth turned into tragedy when proper safety measures apparently weren’t taken. A 43-year-old German woman lost her life when she was crushed by a collapsing balcony while walking below with her family. The contractor of the abandoned building has been arrested in connection with the case, while authorities are still searching for a worker, the engineer, and the property owner.
Corinth: Tragedy unfolds before children’s eyes
The incident occurred in front of the family’s minor children, who witnessed the tragedy. The 43-year-old’s husband immediately notified authorities. Five firefighters with two vehicles rushed to the scene to rescue the woman. Despite rescuers’ efforts, she was pulled out unconscious.
“They were using compressors from morning” – Eyewitness account
A local resident who frequently passes the area told Orange Press cameras that work had started early that morning. “They had started working from the morning. When I was going to work at 8 o’clock, they had already begun at 7:00 or 7:30. They were working with compressors and bringing down walls and plaster,” he said. As he explained, “the building was abandoned,” while it previously operated as a pub called “Tango,” attracting people from Loutraki, Kiato and Xylokastro. According to him, the building’s deterioration was severe due to its proximity to the sea and lack of adequate reinforcement (steel bars). When asked if he passes through the area often, he replied yes and stated “I’m lucky it didn’t fall on me this morning, I didn’t see they were doing construction work.”
Timeline of the incident
On Saturday afternoon (04/04), part of a balcony from an abandoned building suddenly collapsed, resulting in the death of the 43-year-old and minor injuries to her two children. The incident occurred on Pegasus Street, in the Kalamia area of Corinth, when a section of the terrace parapet broke off and fell onto the sidewalk. The woman, who permanently resided in Germany, had come to Greece for Easter holidays and was in the area with her husband and their three minor children. She had no chance to react, as she was instantly trapped under the large mass of concrete and construction materials, before her family’s horrified eyes.
