Worker buried

Demolition of house in Schärding becomes complicated

The two bodies were only recovered the night after the accident.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

The terrible accident shocked far beyond the country's borders: on September 3, two ceilings of an old building in Schärding collapsed during renovation work, burying two workers (23) under the rubble. Now the building is to be demolished - but this is likely to be complicated.

The building in Schärding, in which a ceiling collapsed two weeks ago and buried two construction workers under it, is now to be demolished piece by piece. This was reported by ORF Upper Austria on Friday, citing Mayor Günter Streicher (SPÖ). Two young Syrians died in the accident and another man was injured. The public prosecutor's office is investigating grossly negligent homicide.

Crane could remove building from above
Structural engineers are currently taking a close look at the historic building in the city center. "A structural engineer has been commissioned to draw up a demolition report. Only then will it be possible to say when demolition can begin," says the city manager.

However, this could prove difficult: "A demolition company that has already looked at the building assumes that the building will have to be removed from above with a crane, first the roof and then all other loose parts of the building," says Streicher. How long it will take until then depends on the outcome of the demolition report.