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A four-story building built in 1975 sank 30 centimeters into the ground in Itajaí (SC), forcing residents of the 16 apartments to evacuate urgently, and the Civil Defense interdicted the building due to collapse risk while the city hall evaluates extending the interdiction to neighboring properties.
A four-story building collapsed and sank approximately 30 centimeters into the soil in Itajaí, on the coast of Santa Catarina, forcing the residents of the 16 apartments to leave their homes in an emergency while many were still sleeping. One resident reported that she initially mistook the creaks and noises for the sound of neighbors dragging furniture, until objects began to fall from the upper floor and she realized that the building was collapsing. Almost 24 hours after the incident, the occupants still showed disbelief at what had happened. The structure was interdicted by the Civil Defense due to collapse risk and the surrounding area was isolated, with Municipal Guard teams maintaining continuous monitoring of the site.
The building, erected in 1975, belongs to a single owner, and all occupants live as tenants. In a meeting held at the Itajaí city hall, it was determined that the property owner will have to present a plan detailing the future of the building and what measures will be taken to prevent a complete collapse. The situation raises concerns beyond the property limits: authorities indicated that neighboring buildings may also be interdicted if the technical assessment identifies a risk that the sinking could compromise the foundations of surrounding constructions.
What happened to the building in Itajaí and how the residents escaped
The sinking occurred without warning. The building’s structure sank about 30 centimeters from the original ground level, a movement sufficient to cause cracks, wall displacement, and falling objects inside the apartments. The residents woke up to creaks and noises that, at first, seemed harmless, but soon revealed signs that the entire building was moving.
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The evacuation was done in a hurry, with no time to collect belongings beyond the essentials. The majority of families took shelter in the homes of relatives and friends, with no forecast of when they might return to the building. The building housed, among its residents, 12 handball players who were set to depart the next day for North Macedonia, where they would represent Brazil in the School World Championship of the sport. Firefighters needed to enter the prohibited building to rescue passports, identity documents, and shoes of the athletes, who confirmed that they managed to recover the necessary materials for the trip.
Why the building sank and what the city found in the files
The building was constructed in 1975, and its original plans needed to be located in the archives of the city of Itajaí so that engineers could assess the structural conditions. The analysis of these documents revealed the need for urgent intervention to prevent the sinking from worsening and resulting in total collapse. Technicians from the fields of structural engineering, foundations, and geology were summoned to issue an opinion on the situation and guide the next steps.
The exact causes of the sinking are still under investigation. In a building with half a century of existence, factors such as deterioration of the foundations, soil changes caused by rain or neighboring construction, and lack of structural maintenance over the decades may have contributed to the ground giving way. The Civil Defense has teams on-site monitoring any signs of additional movement, and access to the building remains prohibited until the technical reports are completed.
The situation of the residents and the role of the building owner
All 16 apartments in the building are occupied by tenants, and the entire property belongs to a single owner. This configuration concentrates legal and financial responsibility in one person, who now faces the obligation imposed by the city to present a formal plan regarding the future of the building. The document must indicate whether the building will be renovated, demolished, or subjected to some type of structural reinforcement capable of ensuring safety for a possible reoccupation. The Civil Defense has conditioned any future decision on the delivery of reports that confirm whether the risk of collapse has been eliminated.
For the residents, the uncertainty is twofold: in addition to not knowing when they will be able to return, they face the possibility that the building may simply be beyond repair. Those who lived in a rental unit in a 1975 building were likely seeking affordable costs, and now find themselves displaced without any guarantee of compensation, relocation, or any support beyond the solidarity of relatives and friends. The city hall of Itajaí has not announced, so far, any temporary housing assistance program for the affected families.
The risk that the building represents for neighbors in Itajaí
The concern is not limited to the 16 apartments that have been evacuated. The authorities in Itajaí have indicated that neighboring buildings may also be included in the evacuation if the technical assessment concludes that the sinking of the building has compromised the stability of the soil in the surrounding area. When a four-story structure shifts 30 centimeters, the pressure exerted on the ground can affect the foundations of adjacent buildings, especially if they share the same type of soil or were built around the same time using similar construction techniques.
The possibility of an expanded evacuation generates tension in the neighborhood. Residents of the surrounding buildings are closely monitoring the situation, fearing they will receive the same evacuation order that affected the occupants of the sinking building. The Civil Defense and municipal technicians will need to complete the geotechnical analysis before determining whether the problem is localized or if there is systemic risk to the area, a decision that could take days or weeks depending on the complexity of the soil and the availability of measurement equipment.
What the case of the building in Itajaí reveals about old constructions in Brazil
The incident highlights a problem affecting thousands of buildings across the country: constructions erected decades ago without the safety and maintenance requirements that current legislation imposes. A building from 1975 that has never undergone structural reinforcement is subject to accumulated degradation that can manifest suddenly, as happened in Itajaí. The absence of periodic reports and preventive interventions turns old buildings into candidates for collapse, silent risks that only reveal themselves when it is already too late.
The case also raises the issue of responsibility in rental properties. When all residents are tenants and the building belongs to a single owner, the ability to enforce preventive maintenance is limited to the goodwill of the owner. If the owner does not invest in maintenance over decades, it is the tenants who pay the price when the structure collapses, often without bargaining power and without resources to cover the costs of a forced move.
And you, do you live or have you ever lived in an old building? Do you think there should be a law requiring periodic structural reports for buildings over 30 years old? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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