More than 70 residents and business owners in Barcelona’s Sant Gervasi district are preparing to sue the Generalitat after a massive sinkhole caused by L9 metro construction forced them from their homes and businesses. Two months after the collapse, many still cannot return, and frustration is growing.
The lawsuit, expected to be filed this week, accuses the Department of Territory of failing to properly oversee the tunneling project. The legal team, led by Carmen Pérez Pozo-Toledano, who represented victims of the El Carmel sinkhole in 2005, argues that authorities neglected their duty to monitor the works, causing material and emotional harm. The El Carmel incident led to the evacuation of more than 1,000 people and the temporary closure of 84 buildings, illustrating the disruption such failures can cause.
The L9 metro project is one of Spain’s most expensive infrastructure undertakings, with total costs exceeding €6.9 billion as of 2023.
Some buildings in Sant Gervasi have been declared safe, but three remain off-limits because of structural concerns. Miren Atela, president of the most damaged building on Teodora Lamadrid street, says that even when officials announce a return date, the reality is more complicated. Many evacuees are still living in hotels, coping with constant construction noise and dust, as well as ongoing safety concerns. The Department of Territory says safety assessments are still underway and residents will only be allowed back once all risks have been addressed.
The number of plaintiffs continues to rise. The legal team estimates that 90% of those affected have joined the claim, with more signing on. Compensation demands will cover physical damage and lost business, while also seeking redress for the psychological impact of displacement. The final amount will depend on each family’s circumstances and how long they have been away. In the El Carmel case, compensation for moral damages reached up to €15,000 per household, shaping current expectations.
In recent statements, the Generalitat acknowledged that the L9 project has faced repeated delays and technical challenges since its inception in 2003. Funding issues and unforeseen engineering difficulties have caused multiple interruptions.
La Vanguardia
Responsibility for any payouts will likely fall to the construction company’s insurers, but the Generalitat is the lawsuit’s basic target. The case highlights the risks of large urban infrastructure projects in densely populated neighborhoods, where oversight failures can have immediate and lasting effects on local communities.
As the legal process moves forward, the situation in Sant Gervasi reflects a broader pattern of administrative conflict elsewhere in Spain. For example, a recent report described how unresolved disputes and delayed decisions can leave residents in limbo, worsening the impact of official mistakes.
The El Carmel disaster remains a warning, but the current standoff in Sant Gervasi suggests that lessons from the past have not been fully learned. Slow repairs and unclear communication have compounded the strain, while officials’ reluctance to accept responsibility has left families and businesses with little choice but to go to court. For many, the legal fight is about more than compensation: it is a demand for accountability from public authorities whose failures have real consequences.
