Azerbaijan. Apartment building collapses

A five story apartment building collapsed last night in Southern Azerbaijan in the town of Lenkonar located 200km from Baku.

According to the local TV channel ATV, the tragedy occurred on Thursday at 7:15 PM local time on Baloglan Abbasov of the second micro district. Residents of the apartment building claim that they have been noticing some cracks in the building since Thursday morning. By evening, one of the two apartment buildings has collapsed. According to the town’s administration, 105 families were registered in the multi-flat apartment complex consisting of two buildings. 15 families were officially registered in the collapsed building.

Residents of the nearby houses were the first one to start rescuing victims from the debris. Local rescue workers arrived at the spot in no time. Some time later, rescuers from Baku have joined them. Currently, there are more than 70 people at the site. They managed to rescue 16 seriously injured people so far. Victims were transported to the local hospital of Lenkoran. It was reported that three of them remain in critical condition.

Today, rescue work in the region still continues. Unfortunately, rescue workers are unaware of the exact amount of people who were present in time of collapse. They are certain however that a number of people still remains buried in debris. RIA “Novosti” that person has been found alive on Friday morning.

Azerbaijani newspaper “The Mirror” informs that residents from second, fourth and fifth floors managed to escape. While those from first and third floors remained in the building at the moment of collapse.

The building was constructed about 30 years ago. It has been remaining in emergency state for over two months.

Rescue workers managed to save a woman on Friday morning, reported Lenkoran's authorities.           

    
Based on materials of inform-agencies