Residents of Seaview Apartments in Paceville were evacuated from the building yesterday afternoon after authorities determined that its deteriorating condition meant it was no longer fit for habitation.The controlled evacuation was announced in a post by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA), which said it had filed a formal report with the police over the state of the building, situated between St George’s Street and Wilġa Street.The decision to evacuate was taken together with the Government Architect, police, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, Civil Protection Department, Water Services Corporation and Enemalta.According to the BCA, a report by Professor Alex Torpiano concluded that the building should not be inhabited due to a lack of maintenance by its tenants and owners.However, concerns over the state of Seaview Apartments had been raised long before yesterday’s intervention.Back in July 2025, the BCA and the Paceville Town Centre Management Committee met with owners of apartments and establishments in the building, with Torpiano brought in to assess its condition.At the time, his initial investigation found that the building did not pose a danger or risk to residents or third parties. Nevertheless, a number of works were proposed and were meant to be carried out immediately by the owners.One year later, those works had still not been carried out.According to the Authority, the building continued to deteriorate in the meantime, with sewage leaking into its shafts being singled out as a particular issue.The BCA said it continued to follow the situation and reminded apartment owners as recently as June that they needed to reach an agreement and carry out the necessary maintenance to mitigate the risks.But two months later, the works remained undone, leading the authorities to intervene and order yesterday afternoon’s evacuation.The BCA stressed that Torpiano’s report attributed the risks and dangers at Seaview Apartments to years of inadequate maintenance.It also made a point of clarifying that the problems were “in no way” related to construction works currently taking place next to the building.The evacuation marks the culmination of more than a year of warnings and proposed interventions at the Paceville property, with residents now unable to remain inside until the building’s safety issues are addressed.What do you make of this situation?•