Barcelona sinkhole evacuees cannot return home until at least Saturday

Residents of 93 apartments evacuated after a sinkhole opened in Barcelona's Putxet neighbourhood will not be able to return home until at least Saturday morning, authorities said on Wednesday.

Engineers are monitoring ground stability following the collapse linked to the construction of the Metro Line 9.

The cavity has been filled with concrete and initial monitoring results are "positive," according to Ramon Ramírez, director general of transport infrastructure at Catalonia's territory department.

However, he said technicians need to confirm that the ground has remained stable for three consecutive days before allowing residents to return.

"On Saturday we will assess whether a phased return of residents can begin," Ramírez said.

The evacuation affects 93 apartments in eight buildings near the construction works for Barcelona's Metro Line 9.

Work injecting concrete was completed late on Tuesday night, after which authorities began continuous monitoring of the ground using sensors.

Evacuation

Residents of 93 apartments in Barcelona's Putxet neighbourhood were evacuated on Tuesday after a sinkhole opened during construction of the city's Metro Line 9, forcing dozens of people from their homes.

The crater, measuring around eight metres across, opened in an interior courtyard near the site of a future L9 station in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district.

Authorities established a 24-metre safety perimeter around the collapse, eventually evacuating eight residential buildings.

According to Barcelona's Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre (CUESB), municipal services assisted 85 people affected by the evacuation.

While 11 residents initially requested overnight accommodation, all but two later found alternative arrangements with relatives or friends.

Residents and business owners remained unable to return on Wednesday morning as firefighters inspected affected buildings and shops.

Catalonia's housing minister, Sílvia Paneque, said the leading hypothesis is that the sinkhole was caused by a small ground movement above the tunnel being excavated for Metro Line 9.

She stressed that the incident was unrelated to the 2005 Carmel tunnel collapse in Barcelona, saying the tunnelling technology used today is "completely different."

Authorities also revealed that one of the affected buildings had reported cracks before the incident.

The Catalan government said some of those cracks predated the construction works, while others are being analysed to determine whether they were linked to the Metro Line 9 project.

Investigation

Catalonia's Ombudswoman, Esther Giménez-Salinas, has opened an investigation into the incident.

Her office has requested information from the Catalan government on monitoring carried out during the construction works, as well as details from Barcelona City Council on the assistance provided to evacuated residents.

The ombudswoman has also requested the fire service's structural assessment reports once they are completed.

No injuries have been reported.