Frightening moment taxi is nearly crushed after balcony collapse in Colombia
This is the moment a taxi driver was nearly crushed to death after a building balcony collapsed in Colombia.
A surveillance camera from a nearby building showed a person who appeared to be an employee standing outside a store and a yellow taxi approaching in the middle of the street as concrete slabs came down early Thursday morning.
The impact of the falling debris caused the man to run away and push a parked taxi back a few meters, while the taxi driver suddenly stopped next to the sidewalk on the other side.
No injuries were reported, but three cars, including two taxis, were slightly damaged, Cartagena’s mayor’s office said in a statement.
A taxi driver (above) narrowly avoided being crushed to death after a second-story balcony of a vacant building collapsed in Cartagena, Colombia, on Thursday. No injuries were reported and three cars, including the two taxis pictured, were damaged
Concrete slabs were strewn across a street in Cartagena’s historic Getsemaní neighborhood after a balcony of a building with no tenants collapsed
According to Daniel Vargas, director of the Disaster Risk Management Advisory Office in Cartagena, the two-story building is located in the historic Getsemaní neighborhood.
There were no tenants living in the building at the time.
“We responded quickly to the emergency to protect citizens,” he said. “We urge owners of abandoned properties to carry out the necessary maintenance to avoid risks,” Vargas said.
Engineers were allowed into the building and conducted a thorough inspection.
Cartagena’s historic Getsemaní district was clear of pedestrians and heavy traffic just before a balcony on a two-story building collapsed early Thursday morning
“These (inspections) include a thorough assessment of the structural condition of the affected building, traffic control in the area to ensure pedestrian safety and the rapid security of the affected area,” Vargas said.
“These measures were essential to prevent further incidents and facilitate the safe clearing of debris.”
Since 2020, at least 160 inspection visits have been carried out. In 40 of those visits, some property owners were sanctioned for the unsafe conditions in which the buildings were located.
“A wide range of buildings need to be inspected in the Historic Center. Since deterioration is not always visible, it is a time-consuming task to determine which buildings show structural deterioration or risk of collapse,” Vargas said.
“Each owner of a property in the Historic Center is responsible, taking into account that it is the individual’s duty to keep his or her property in optimal condition so that it does not endanger the safety of citizens,” Vargas added.
“The sanctions will be severe, given this great irresponsibility.”