The Thessaloniki Prosecutor’s Office has ordered a criminal investigation into the elevator collapse at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) student dormitories (Building C). The Fire Department has been assigned to investigate the conditions surrounding the incident, which occurred on Monday night without any reported injuries.
The prosecutor has also requested inspections of all elevators in the AUTH dormitories to check for signs of inadequate maintenance.
TÜV AUSTRIA, the company responsible for elevator safety at the AUTH dormitories, announced that the elevator had been operating for at least two years without the inspection certificate required by Greek law.
The investigation is looking into whether there is evidence to support charges of public endangerment through negligence or violation of building regulations through negligence.
Following the incident on Monday, October 7, 2024, involving a technical issue with one of the elevators at the C Student Dormitory of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), TÜV AUSTRIA, an accredited elevator inspection body and a leader in safety inspections in Greece, noted that an experienced company inspector had inspected the elevator on 03/03/2022 and 12/09/2023.
However, neither of these inspections led to the issuance of the annual inspection certificate required by Greek law, meaning the elevator had been operating for at least two years without the necessary certification,” the company stated in its announcement.
