Barcelona delays return for 18 families evacuated after El Putxet metro sinkhole

Staggered return plan

Officials from the Catalan government and Barcelona city authorities presented a revised rehousing calendar on 28 August 2026 for residents displaced by the El Putxet sinkhole. The cavity opened on 7 July 2026 during excavation for metro Line 9, forcing the evacuation of 87 homes and 16 commercial premises across eight residential blocks. Four of the eight evacuated blocks returned in the weeks following the initial incident, leaving 33 homes and eight businesses unoccupied. Delegada Pilar Díaz announced that residents of Teodora Lamadrid 5, comprising 15 apartments and one commercial unit, will re-enter their properties in mid-October 2026. However, 18 families and seven businesses across three neighboring buildings must remain displaced until early 2027 while engineering teams reinforce the underlying ground.

They will have to wait a few months until the consolidation works are completed.

Ground stabilization and machinery delays

The delay in rehousing centers on the three most affected properties: Teodora Lamadrid 3 and Rubinstein 2 and 4. Structural damage worsened on 31 July 2026 when inspectors discovered a new crack in the basement of Rubinstein 2, opposite the Sant Gervasi market. Mobility infrastructure director Ramon Ramírez stated that ground consolidation teams have worked round-the-clock throughout August, injecting concrete at the exact rate the subsoil can absorb. The tunnel boring machine, named Hospi, remains immobilized underground directly beneath the residential parcels. Once the surrounding ground reaches stability, engineers plan to advance the machine 20 meters toward the future El Putxet station before tackling the remaining one kilometer to Lesseps.

Work has been going on all summer 24/7 on ground consolidation works, but the complexity prevents it from being considered resolved until the beginning of next year.

Displaced residents and compensation demands

Roughly 40% of the approximately 300 evacuated residents continue to stay in temporary hotel accommodation eight weeks after the collapse. Firefighters under Barcelona fire chief Sebastià Massagué continue organizing scheduled escorts for residents to retrieve essential belongings from the cordoned buildings. Several residents voiced frustration over communication delays and ongoing displacement, with some requesting independent third-party structural assessments before moving back. To manage mounting legal claims, at least half of the displaced neighbors retained attorney Carmen Pérez-Pozo Toledano. The legal representative previously handled compensation cases following the 2005 Carmel metro collapse, which displaced 1,289 people from 530 properties and resulted in 100 million euros in settlements.

Administrative support and project revisions

Regional authorities pledged to simplify financial advance procedures and expand administrative support at the local assistance office, specifically targeting the 18 households facing extended relocation. Regional infrastructure officials confirmed that the prolonged halt will push back the completion date for Line 9 tunneling operations. Technicians from the Department of Territory and Barcelona City Council will monitor the remaining subterranean excavation through Lesseps under revised safety protocols. The tunnel boring machine will undergo comprehensive technical reviews to address the mechanical factors behind the July cave-in before resuming forward progress.