Education dept building showing signs of collapse

Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (Dherst) staff evacuated their offices in a hurry yesterday morning when a strange noise was heard in the two-storey building.
Dherst occupies the top floor of the Mutual Rumana building, in Port Moresby, which was condemned five years ago by the Works Department.
“In June last year, we noticed that the building was not in good shape, so we asked the Department of Works to make an independent assessment and we were told that the building was condemned five years ago,” Dherst Secretary Fr Jan Czuba said.
“We then put in an application to the Department of Personnel Management requesting for relocation in 2018 when the lease would expire in around July.
“We were not in a hurry as we were still looking and as of last week Monday, after the heavy rain, the staff came in the morning and the building was cracking so we dismissed all the staff, made inspections and decided that it was not good.
“At the end of Monday last week, I went to see the secretary for Finance and explained the concern that we have to fill up the process.” new location has been seen, Fr Czuba said.
“We will not move to the building at all because if the staff move and walk, that will give vibration and the vibration will go to the foundation which is already weak and compromised. The building will collapse.
“Now they are finalising the signatures and most probably we will be allowed to move to the new location (today) which is basically next door, the tower next to the Department of Health.”