Geologist Osiris de León forecast that accidents will continue to happen in Santiago if engineers do not take special measures when building in clay soil. Four bodies were recovered on Tuesday, 21 May 2019 on the day of the collapse of a trench during the construction of an 11-floor hotel near the Gran Teatro Cibao in Santiago city. The body of a fifth laborer, 35-year old Orlando Herrera, was found on Wednesday at the site.
De León is an advisor to the Executive Branch on Geosciences, Seismicity and Prevention of Disasters. He said that the collapse occurred because a needed shoring system was not in place to protect workers from a trench collapse in case of rain. Heavy rains lead to the caving in of the excavation killing the workers.
Osiris said the engineers allow for excavation works as if they were in the rocky terrain in Naco in Santo Domingo, and not working on clay soils as those that are more common in Santiago.
In an interview on El Gobierno de la Mañana morning talk show, De Leon said the authorities will need to determine the level of negligence in this case to apply the corresponding sanctions.
He argued that the entire Cibao Valley is clay, and when it rains and the waters find a vertical cut, the enormous weight of the soil tends to push and pull down any construction. “You should never, ever, cut that material vertically, much less if there is a chance of rain and without a protection system,” he said.
The geologist urged a review of the construction processes in the province when excavations are made in clay.
He recalled two other similar cases, that of a construction near a major movie house, and a more recent one in which a road caved in.
The recent five dead are the named 37-year old Orlando Herrera,19-year old Joan Manuel Cruz Rivera, 20-year old Ariel Jerez, 20-year old Elvin José Tavares Torres and 24-year old Haitian Eddy Licienar. Four workers were hospitalized with injuries.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Z101
Diario Libre
23 May 2019