By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 11 May 2013:
Speaking at yesterday’s press conference after the collapse of a building in Tripoli that killed five . . .[restrict]people, Sadat Badri, head of Tripoli Local Council (TLC), revealed that an emergency plan was put in place to deal with any future collapses of buildings.
Badri, was speaking after a building constructed during the Italian colonial period of the 1920-30’s collapsed in the Belkhair district in central Tripoli. The building had been vacated by the state, but Libya’s acute housing crisis meant that tenants reoccupied it illegally.
“We created an operation room which is in permanent meeting”, the TLC leader revealed, “to put in place a plan to help those affected by the collapse.”
Badri reported that “the Prime Minister was in constant contact with him as well as a number of other Ministers”.
However, residents of the area had complained, burnt tyres and blockaded at least one road yesterday in anger at the lack of government help. They were also upset by the fact that the Prime Minister had not visited the scene personally. Other Ministers and GNC members were reportedly seen at the site.
Housing Minister Ali Sherief, on the otherhand, had reported at yesterday evening’s press conference that a number of Ministers, the Deputy GNC head and GNC members had visited the site. [/restrict]
