The strong winds of March 12 pulled away metallic slates from the roof of the secondary school in Hârtop village of Cimișlia district from an area of 820 square meters. The school’s principal Tatiana Craciun has told IPN that she was inside the building when the incident occurred. She and other employees were preparing the school for the students’ return from vacation.

The principal said the education process will not be affected. The school’s building dates from 1971, when the roofs were built flat and the wind thus didn’t fully damage the roof. Their only school bus, which was parked where the metallic slates fell, had a mirror broken, but wasn’t damaged and will thus continue to transport to school the about 50 students from three neighboring villages.

“The exceptional commission of Cimişlia district was convened. The head of the district and the district education division were notified. We will approve a new expenditure estimate for the roof today and I think the repair works will start,” said Tatiana Craciun. The approval of the decision and the procurement process can last for two-three months. The metallic slates that were taken away were replaced in 2019.

According to General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the local commission for exceptional situations is gauging the extent of the damage. In Maximovca village of Anenii Noi district, the roof of the experimental station of the Agrarian University of Moldova was also damaged. The wind took away metallic slates from an area of 519 square meters. No one was hurt in the two cases.