In Silver, part of the historical wall collapsed, but no one was injured

Silver

Silver - In Silver, Tachov district, part of the historic city wall collapsed today. A potential further collapse could threaten the outbuilding of a house that serves as a storage shed and a small shed, said regional fire department spokesman Petr Poncar today. No one was injured. A structural engineer has prohibited the use of the area where the outbuilding stands and restricted traffic on the road below the slope. According to deputy mayor Karel Lukeš (Independent for Silver), the collapse could have been contributed by water seepage and the saturation of a poorly drained private property.

Mayor Martin Záhoř (ANO) estimated that the cost of remediation would be at least three to four million crowns, unless the structural engineer orders an even larger and more expensive remediation. No one from the adjacent properties had to be evacuated, and the city does not need to provide alternative accommodation.

"The building of the masonry shed is partially damaged and cracked. The firefighters cleared it out, and the building has been excluded from use until the next steps are determined. A decision will be made on whether it will be demolished or not, and what measures will be taken to secure the slope that could theoretically still collapse further," Poncar said.

The collapse of the wall occurred on Na Příkopech street. The city has a large number of walls, which it repairs as resources allow. The deputy mayor believes that the collapse could have been exacerbated by water seepage and the saturation of a poorly drained private property. The soil with part of the wall collapsed from a slope of about ten meters towards the street, and Lukeš estimated the width of the collapse to be approximately ten meters as well.

The firefighters have concluded their intervention. According to Poncar, it will now be up to the city to decide on further actions in collaboration with the structural engineer. "There is currently no further collapse occurring," the spokesman stated. The engineer will assess whether there could be any other dynamic changes on the slope. Poncar did not rule out that once the city decides on the next steps, firefighters could be called upon again for assistance.

According to Záhoř, the city regularly inspects its medieval town walls in collaboration with a structural engineer. However, it is beyond their capabilities to detect all potentially risky spots in advance. The town of Silver has already faced wall collapses in the past, and the mayor fears it will not escape such issues in the future. Over the centuries, people have gradually leveled the historic fortifications and built on top of them, turning the wall into a terraced wall. However, people often direct water from their properties towards the walls, leading to their saturation.

"The city has taken on a large number of walls, but unfortunately, there are no grants for their repair. We have to address them within the budget, but we also have other demands from the city. Right next door, for example, is Russian Street, where about one hundred meters of terraced wall, including the roadway, will be repaired for approximately 23 to 28 million crowns, depending on how the tender turns out. For us, this is really a long-term endeavor," Záhoř said.

The city will now conduct another inspection of the walls and their condition but will likely also have to implement some unpopular measures, such as ordering the removal of certain buildings, the mayor added.