The old building, which was only renovated a few years ago, is located in an area very popular with shoppers and pedestrians. According to the Palma Fire Brigade, the wrought iron railings on one of the balconies gave way, bringing down the two adjacent balconies.
Eyewitnesses said that not only did it "sound like an explosion" but that a great deal of debris came crashing down; local business owners feared the worst.
Members of the fire brigade, local police and National Police were on the scene within minutes and cordoned off the area. The Emaya municipal services agency cleared away the debris while firefighters inspected the building, allowing the inhabitants to return.
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I too have noticed that the Spanish Authorities aren´t big on Health and Safety. Many times, I think to myself "the British Health and Safety Board would have a field day here". Examples include workmen with no protective ear-defenders, eyeshields or headwear, stairs with no handrail, bundles of electricity cables dangling loosely outside buildings etc etc . Are any checks ever carried out here ?Traffic regulations (or lack of them) amaze me too. Parking on crossings, roundabouts and corners seems to be the accepted norm. As I sit having a coffee, I see hundreds speed by with no seat belt on and / or on the phone. I´ve never seen anyone stopped by the police for any of these offences. Perhaps there would be too much paperwork. Rant over.
There are many places in Palma where looking up at worn masonry and rickety balconies fills me with a sense of dread - in particular at times of the many parades through the year when families of 15 crowd onto personal balconies designed to take 5 people! We're living on luck.