Madaba, Jan. 22 (Petra) -- Madaba Governor Hassan Jbour said the area and the road adjacent to a building under which a deep cavity filled with wastewater was discovered will remain closed until the safety of the building and the surrounding area is confirmed.

Jbour told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that, under the direct supervision of the governorate’s Public Safety Committee, all precautionary measures were taken from the moment the incident was reported to protect citizens’ lives.

Residents were immediately evacuated to Prince Hashem bin Abdullah II Youth City, required to sign undertakings not to return, and the site and adjacent road were sealed off in the subsidence area.

He said the National Building Council committee in the governorate was called in and endorsed the measures taken, recommending that they remain in place pending an on-site assessment by the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) to determine the safety of the building and neighboring structures.

Jbour said an RSS committee also arrived urgently and recommended continuing the existing measures and requiring building owners to conduct exploratory boreholes to assess structural integrity, as well as municipal checks to verify the safety of sidewalks and roads. He said instructions were issued to the owners and the municipality to carry out the assessments.

He stressed that the area and road will not reopen until an RSS technical decision is issued following the required tests, to safeguard lives and property.

Jbour said the Public Safety Committee recognizes the road’s importance to residents and businesses, but emphasized that public safety is paramount and the area will remain closed until the site is confirmed to pose no risk.

//Petra// AO

22/01/2026 14:02:15