The mayor’s move comes in response to strong concerns raised by local residents, who in recent months have reported cracks and subsidence in apartment buildings following the passage of the metro tunnel boring machine. According to the report cited by Haris Doukas, subsidence has even been recorded four times higher than normal, while some buildings have been classified as «red,» which corresponds to high risk.
The mayor of Athens stated that the immediate referral of the report to the prosecutor's office constituted obligation of the municipal government, noting that the new information is heightening residents' sense of insecurity. He also requested that this be taken into account as part of the ongoing preliminary investigation.
The City of Athens has set three basic conditions for moving forward: immediate structural integrity inspections of critical buildings, fair compensation for damages, and the safe resumption of tunnel boring operations. At the same time, it is requesting access to the full report on the conditions under which work will resume and on the causes of the problems that have arisen to date.
The case is now before the courts, with residents awaiting specific answers regarding both the safety of their buildings and the repair of the damage.
