The roof collapse in Česká Třebová is being investigated by the police as endangerment due to negligence

Česká Třebová - The police are investigating Saturday's roof collapse of the sports hall in Česká Třebová as a general threat due to negligence. Lenka Vilímková, spokesperson for the Orlickoústecko police, said this to ČTK today. The structure collapsed in the evening during a floorball tournament; all eighty people managed to escape, and two of them were slightly injured while fleeing. "The penalty for this offense can be up to eight years in prison," Vilímková stated.

The collapsed roof is being examined by a forensic expert. According to Vilímková, it will be necessary to clear parts of the debris so that the structural engineer can access all areas of the building. Work on-site is expected to take several days, and the expert report will be completed in the following months.

The damaged hall is currently being guarded by the police. After the inspection by the expert is completed, the building will be handed over to the Pardubice Region, which will ensure the security itself as the owner.

The hall was built by the construction company Profistav Litomyšl. As previously stated by the project designer Tomáš Friš, it is unclear why the roof collapsed. The structure was composed of wooden trusses, which he considers a common method of construction. About 25 centimeters of snow was on the roof of the hall before the collapse, and Friš does not believe this was the cause of the accident.

The Pardubice Region built the new hall at a cost of 58 million crowns, with a ceremonial opening planned for Sunday. It was intended to be used by the local Higher Vocational School and Technical Secondary School, located on its premises, as the original gym was already outdated.

The extent of the damage has not yet been determined. According to Governor Martin Netolický (ČSSD), the Pardubice Region will have its own independent assessment of the entire building carried out, from project documentation to the occupancy permit. This will also determine whether the existing project is usable for reclamation and completion or if modifications are necessary for safety. The final solution could be the demolition of the structure and the construction of a new one.