Residential building evacuated in Zarqa for safety concerns

AMMAN — Civil Defence Department (CDD) personnel on Thursday evacuated 22 persons from a building for safety concerns, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The evacuation came due to cracks and detachment of mortar in the building, which is located in the Ghweirieh neighbourhood. Zarqa’s CDD Director Col. Abdula Hadi Sarayrah said that the building’s residents reported cracks and, after inspecting the building, the CDD found that it was unsafe. Inhabitants stated that they are unable to return to the building until it is officially proven safe.

Last week, a three-storey residential building collapsed in the same neighbourhood, killing five persons and injuring ten others. According to the CDD, the owner of the building filed a request for reconstruction which was denied by the municipality on the grounds that the building could not handle the removal of the ground-floor walls as the structure dates back to 1970.