Construction halted and assessment ordered after house floor collapse

Male' City Council has halted construction work on a house after excavation for the foundation caused a section of the adjacent house to collapse, and has ordered an assessment of the incident.

The incident occurred in Maafannu Nazeeraimee Hingun during the construction of a new house. The collapsed section was part of the walkway of the neighboring house, M. Adreeduge. The incident, which took place yesterday afternoon, did not result in any injuries to people.

Malé Mayor Adam Azim told "Mihaaru" today that he visited the area yesterday evening to assess the situation.

Mayor Azim stated that the Council will investigate whether the construction followed the permits issued, and whether the neighboring structure was built properly and in compliance with regulations.

"The contract stipulates that construction work must be carried out while considering the surrounding houses. [We will investigate] whether it was done by sheet piling or by under-pinning," the Mayor explained.

Azim confirmed that the technical team has been assigned to conduct an assessment and has been instructed to complete the work promptly. He added that the construction work has been currently stopped, and further work can only proceed after the assessment is complete.

This is not the first incident of damage to adjacent properties caused by foundation excavation during construction in Malé.