RECOVERY WORK CONTINUES AT COLLAPSED BUILDING,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 001110

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2017
TAGS: PGOV ECON CASC KCOR ABLD AJ
SUBJECT: RECOVERY WORK CONTINUES AT COLLAPSED BUILDING,
WITH NO EFFECT ON BAKU'S CONSTRUCTION BOOM

REF: A. BAKU 1096

B. BAKU 1089

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu per 1.4 (b,d).


1. (U) On September 4, the Ministry of Emergency Situations'
(MES) Agency for Safety Rules in the Construction Sector
published its initial report on the causes of the August 28
collapse of a building under construction in central Baku.
According to MES experts, the building collapse was caused by
foundation problems and substandard construction work. The
GOAJ has detained five suspects including a senior official
from the Baku Mayor's Office: Akif Maharramov, Head of the
Residential Cooperative Management Bureau.


2. (U) According to September 7 press reports, the death
toll from the building collapse has reached 20 people. The
media reports that there are seven people more buried under
the rubble. The rescue works have reached the closing
stages, with the MES promising to continue operations until
the last body is found. The GOAJ will allocate financial
assistance to the victims of the collapse, announcing plans
to give AZN 10,000 (USD 11,500) to each victim's family and
AZN 3,000 (USD 3,450) to each person injured in the accident.


3. (U) According to press reports, a group of specialists
from the Russian Emergencies Ministry had arrived in Baku to
assess the safety of apartment blocks which had been built in
the past few years. The Russian specialists reportedly have
brought a mobile system "Struna-2" to the Azerbaijani capital
in order to conduct the analysis of technical faculties and
the resistance of buildings, which had been built in the past
few years. According to a Russian MES official, the
specialists will examine approximately 70 apartment blocks,
primarily high-rise buildings such as the one that collapsed
August 28.


4. (C) Several observers, including prominent journalist
Shahin Abbasov, believe that this sort of tragic building
collapse, if not handled properly, could erode the authority
and popularity of the Azerbaijani government. Opposition
Musavat Party leader Isa Gambar told emboffs that this
incident merely adds to the sense that regular people do not
benefit from Azerbaijan's new oil wealth. Ruling Yeni
Azerbaijan Party Executive Director Ali Ahmadov told emboffs
that the opposition would not be able to effectively make
political capital out of this incident because the opposition
itself was so corrupt. Although this particular incident
struck a deep emotional chord among the Azerbaijani public,
it has not resulted in any protests or other public displays
of discontent. Unfortunately, it is likely that another,
perhaps more large-scale incident could occur in the future,
as the building collapse has not resulted in any appreciable
change in the frenetic pace of Baku's current construction
boom. While the GOAJ made strong public pledges that tighter
control would be exercised over all current and future
construction projects, work continues unimpeded at the
hundreds of buildings under construction in Baku.
DERSE