MEXICO CITY, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A project supervisor of a six-story residential building that collapsed in an earthquake just a year after completion will face prosecution, authorities said on Monday.
It is the first such case following a powerful Sept. 19 earthquake that toppled some 40 buildings in Mexico City and damaged hundreds more.
Two residents were killed when the brand-new building, which housed 24 apartments, fell down.
The judge overseeing the case ruled there was enough evidence to prosecute the engineer in charge of the construction project for homicide and ordered his arrest, the city's prosecutor's office said in a statement on Monday.
Investigators found that the condominium, which residents moved into only about a year ago, had permit irregularities and faulty construction, including a lack of steel supports.
Two women, aged 30 and 63, died when the structure tumbled to the ground.
The 58-year-old project supervisor, whose name was not made public, was arrested last week and pleaded not guilty in the initial hearing, claiming he was only in charge of inspecting the installation of pipes for sewage, water and gas.
Both the prosecution and the defense have been given four months to conclude their investigations and gather evidence.
A total of 228 people died in the capital, most crushed to death by construction rubble.
