Accident during renovation

What happens in Schärding after the death drama

The ceilings of a house on Unterer Stadtplatz collapsed during renovation work.

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

Two 23-year-old workers died under the rubble after two ceilings collapsed during renovation work. An expert has now examined the accident site for the first time in search of the cause of the fatal accident. The investigation will take weeks.

Something like normality will probably not return to Schärding for some time after the terrible accident in which two Syrian workers (23) were buried and killed last week. However, at the beginning of the week, the town took a first step towards normality: on Monday, many meetings that had been canceled since last Tuesday, the day of the fatal accident, were made up for.

Inspection of the accident site
The authorities in Schärding had a lot to discuss. First and foremost, how to proceed with the partially collapsed, 441-year-old house on Unterer Stadtplatz, which was last occupied only by a bookshop.

An on-site inspection took place on Monday. For the time being, however, no one from the city wanted to provide any information on how exactly the listed building will be dealt with.

Our expert has inspected the building and ascertained what he needs for the report. It will take weeks.

Alois Ebner, Sprecher der Staatsanwaltschaft Ried

"It will certainly take a few weeks"
An expert commissioned by the public prosecutor's office also took part in the inspection on Monday. He is to prepare an expert opinion to clarify the reason for the collapse of two ceilings. "The public prosecutor in charge of the case was also present at the inspection," explains Alois Ebner, spokesman for the investigating authority. "It will certainly take a few weeks before the expert opinion is ready," says Ebner.

The public prosecutor's office in Ried currently has one defendant: the building contractor from the Innviertel region who was commissioned to renovate the building. There is a suspicion of grossly negligent homicide. However, the investigation is still in its early stages and the presumption of innocence applies.