Seismologist: Worth Asking If Roof Collapse in Komarno Was Related to Quake

Bratislava, 26 February (TASR) - It is a legitimate to ask whether the collapse of part of the roof of the client centre building on Zahradnicka Street in Komarno was related to the recent earthquake, seismologist Peter Moczo from the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics at Comenius University in Bratislava told a press conference on Thursday when asked by a journalist about Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok's (Voice-SD) statement on Wednesday (25 February) that there was a possible connection between the two events. The seismologist added that the building needs to be inspected to answer this question. "If it is true that this damage was caused by such a small earthquake at such a distance, the quality of the construction of the building should be investigated," he said, pointing out that, for example, an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.5 took place in Slovakia in 1763. According to him, the question is what would collapse during such an earthquake. Saturday's (21 February) earthquake in western Slovakia had a magnitude of 4.3. Moczo considers the collapse of the roof in Komarno to be a tragedy. On the other hand, he also considers it to be a useful warning to think about the quality of the design and construction. He also believes that designers and builders should always consult and carefully assess what type of construction they can afford given local conditions. It hasn't been ruled out that the recent earthquake may have contributed to the collapse of part of the roof in Komarno, Sutaj Estok stated at the scene of the tragedy in Komarno, in which one person was killed and two others were injured in the early hours of Wednesday. The Interior Ministry has therefore ordered inspections of all buildings under its administration within the radius of the recent seismic activity. am/df