Emergency services evacuated residents from the luxury La Petite Afrique residential building in Monte Carlo on Wednesday July 22 evening, after concerns emerged over the structural integrity of part of the property…

The alarm was raised after a significant crack was discovered in a structural element in the building’s basement. Initial reports indicated that a movement of approximately 1.5 to 2 centimetres had been observed in a basement wall following the apparent weakening of a load-bearing column. From a structural engineering standpoint, such a failure would normally have been expected to cause movement throughout a much larger portion of the building

Following extensive investigations on Thursday, engineers concluded that the structural movement is confined to Basement Level 1 (SS1) and has not spread to either the building’s superstructure or the lower basement levels. Technical assessments found that Basement Level 1 acts as a transition level, where structural loads are distributed differently from both the residential floors above and the deeper basement levels below. This explains why the movement remained localised rather than affecting the rest of the building.

The affected load-bearing wall will now be reinforced and repaired over the weekend, or by Monday at the latest, subject to the formal authorisations already obtained from the relevant authorities. The findings are considered reassuring and indicate that the incident is far less serious than initially feared. Precautionary safety measures will remain in place until the repairs are completed, but engineers are satisfied that the problem is localised and under control.

The precautionary evacuation involved all 14 residents, who were asked to leave the property while an urgent inspection was carried out. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II attended the scene to be briefed on the situation by officials, according to local sources.

Completed in 2016, La Petite Afrique occupies a prominent position on Avenue de la Madone overlooking Place du Casino. The exclusive development comprises eight luxury apartments above four underground parking levels.

Monaco’s Fire Brigade remained on site throughout the operation, although no injuries were reported and an ambulance dispatched as part of the initial response was ultimately not required.