The head of the task force dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December earthquake, Tomo Medved, said on Tuesday a company has been hired and would today begin delivering materials and setting up a housing and business container settlement in Petrinja.

Speaking for Croatian Radio, Medved said the task force approved the hiring of the company after the army cleaned up the area where the settlement is to be located and all administrative and urban plans have been completed.

“We have the containers and when these necessary works are done, the containers will be set up as we agreed to with the Petrinja City authorities.”

That will create the prerequisites for people whose homes were demolished or are unlivable to stay in containers or mobile homes nearby, Medved said.

He announced administrative procedures for the demolition of damaged buildings, notably those which pose a threat to people’s safety.

By the end of the week, a company will be hired to immediately demolish those buildings and transfer the debris to previously defined locations, Medved said, adding that private homeowners would be required to give their consent for the demolition.

He also said that during the demolition attention would be paid to toxic waste, notably asbestos.

45,812 requests to inspect buildings

Medved went on to say that the task force had received 45,812 requests for buildings to be inspected since the earthquake and that structural engineers have inspected 25,884.

He said a more detailed inspection would follow, notably of the 3,063 deemed unsafe. “If they are to be demolished, a demolition plan will be made, in parallel with reconstruction plans.”

Medved said 827 containers and mobile homes connected to the electricity grid had been set up in the immediate vicinity of damaged family houses.

He appealed to power suppliers to exempt affected households from paying electricity bills as the national HEP suppler has done. “According to our information, they are willing to apply the same approach as HEP.”