A remembrance ceremony for the victims of Antwerp's school construction disaster was held by trade unions on Friday. Despite promises of compensations, relatives of victims and injured parties are reportedly yet to receive a single cent.
On 18 June 2021, the scaffolding of a school under construction at Nieuw Zuid, in Antwerp, unexpectedly collapsed. Five constructions workers were killed while nine people suffered serious injuries.
At the disaster site, a memorial plaque and statue have been erected in remembrance of the victims. Construction on the school has since resumed. However, compensations are yet to be received by surviving family members and injured victims.
"We hope that the Zuiderzin primary school will open its doors in September, but victims and their relatives are still desperately waiting for any form of compensation," say the trade unions. Lawyer Jan Buelens, who represents several victims, also further confirms that his clients "have not received a penny."
Last year it was announced that, at the insistence of the city of Antwerp and the main contractor Democo, an agreement was reached with a consortium of insurance companies to provide compensations while waiting for the extremely lengthy legal settlement of the disaster.
According to Jan Buelens, nothing has been done, partly as victims are asked to sign a document beforehand in which they waive their other rights. Moreover, safety issues in the industry reportedly remain largely unchanged.
