Fire engine accident highlights bungled renovation of Ostrava’s main square

Three years ago, the central square in the city of Ostrava, in the north-east of the country underwent a thorough renovation. But locals complained about the poor quality of the job and the inferior stones the square was paved with. The authorities had already launched an investigation into the matter when on Tuesday, the complainers were proved right: a fire engine sank into a hole in the square’s paving.

Passers-by on the recently renovated Masaryk Square in Ostrava could not believe their eyes on Tuesday morning. With a terrible noise, a fire engine that was driving round the square suddenly sank into a two-meter deep hole that appeared under its wheels. Czech Radio reporter Silvie Mikulcová arrived in the square minutes after the incident.

Photo: CTK

“The fire fighters were in the square to do some training; they were showing new staffers what kind of issues they may face when working in the city centre, where to park their trucks, where the hydrants are, and so on. As some eye witnesses told me, they were driving in the square when suddenly a big crash was heard, and the fire engine’s right rear wheel sank in.”

The fire-fighters said it was sheer luck that the incident did not occur during a real emergency. Meanwhile, local authorities believe that it might have been caused by an underground cavern created during the floods that struck the region last week. But some suspect that a bungled renovation of the square is the real cause.

Three years ago, the city spent around 100 million crowns, or more than 4.8 million US dollars on the renovation. But the result did not impress anyone; people complained that the paving is slippery in winter and when wet, and that cracks had appeared in several spots. In April, their laments prompted city hall and the police to launch an investigation into the contract.

Photo: CTK

“The anti-corruption police started looking into the case and they asked city hall to check the quality of the paving. Tests showed that with all probability, builders used a different kind of stone than they were supposed to. People are not walking on Czech granite; the stone was imported from China and is of lower quality. There are other problems, too – the paving cracks, it’s not as firm, and some of the newly planted trees are not healthy.”

Ostrava city hall is considering suing the company over the renovation, and has asked for a complete re-paving of the main square. The firm, which has changed hands and names since 2007 and is now part of the French-based corporation Eiffage Construction, said it would consider the demands.