Bulldozers on Monday, October 8, afternoon began demolishing a heavily damaged apartment building at the notorious Roma borough of Lunik IX in Kosice, with thousands of rubberneckers watching the scene. No riots took place, however, the TASR newswire learnt.
"The housing units were vacated two weeks ago," said Košice deputy mayor Renate Lenartová, who also appeared at the scene in the afternoon. She stated that it was necessary to tear down the building, as its foundations had been damaged. "[The house] was a property of the city, and we have the duty to prevent any threat to the lives of people living in the house and the vicinity from taking place," she said.
"Eight families that had valid rental contracts have received accommodation replacement ... Families with good payment discipline over the long term and those with zero or minimum debts have been given accommodation in available flats in Lunik IX," said Lenartová. Many of the building’s inhabitants have relocated to the homes of relatives, while others have set up a new, illegal settlement near a local river.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
