State liable for deaths in quake
An Athens court has ordered the prefecture of eastern Attica to pay a total of 1.5 million euros in compensation to the families of four of the 39 people killed in a factory that collapsed during the 1999 Athens earthquake, in a decision made public yesterday. The court deemed that the local town planning office had engaged in illegal and negligent acts – by failing to carry out necessary checks – which directly resulted in the Ricomex household goods factory collapsing in the northern suburb of Metamorphosis during the 5.9 Richter quake. Last July, a court handed down five-year suspended sentences to architect Nikos Scholidis and civil engineer Alexandros Dovas – two of the four people accused in connection with the incident. The company was ordered to pay 2 million euros in compensation, but it has since declared bankruptcy. However, the latest decision paves the way for families of other victims to seek compensation from the state since the court ruling stated that the town-planning office was liable for protecting personal safety as well as the common good.
