The director of Yucatán’s INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia), Eduardo López Calzada, stated that this federal agency has already authorized the dismantling of five buildings, which are a risk to pedestrians and motorists due to their abandonment, deterioration and poor conditions, as they could collapse at any given moment injuring anyone near them. With this permission, Mérida’s Council will set the dates for the buildings’ partial demolition.
While being interviewed, López Calzada mentioned that for a couple of years the INAH detected and reported to the authorities at least 30 buildings in the Historic Center of Mérida with dangerous and irreparable conditions due to their abandonment. Out of these thirty buildings, six represent a danger to passers-by. Unfortunately, two of these — one considered a historic monument — collapsed before authorities could intervene.
Partial demolition works done in prone-to-collapse buildings
Photo: El Diario de Yucatán
The most recent incident was the one of Sidra Pino’s bottling plant, where its roof and an exterior wall collapsed due to the current heavy rains.
López Calzada reported that the demolition is always done from top to bottom to protect any parts of the infrastructure that could be recovered and not continue to damage the entire property. They authorized partial demolitions primarily to guarantee the safety of passers-by and of all those who transit through these abandoned sites.
SOURCE: El Diario de Yucatán
