“I screamed: ‘They’re killing us, help!’ but no one came” — residential building in Baku demolished with people still inside. Video

Melissa Group demolishes residential building in Baku

In Baku, an excavator began demolishing a residential building while residents were still inside, without any prior warning. The demolition was carried out by the construction company Melissa Group without the consent of the homeowners and in violation of existing legal requirements.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a criminal case. The company’s director, site manager, and the excavator driver have all been detained.

“I was screaming at the driver: ‘We’re at home, we’re inside, don’t demolish it!’ but he ignored me,” said Elara Hajieva, owner of the three-storey house, now half-destroyed by the excavator’s bucket. Through tears, she added that several people were injured during the incident.

The incident took place on 27 March in the Birinchi Alatava settlement of Baku’s Yasamal district. Local media report that Melissa Group had been in negotiations with residents for some time, but the homeowners refused to leave, unhappy with the compensation the company offered.

Elara Hajieva, owner of the three-storey home partially destroyed in the incident, said the company had been operating in the area for three years, with problems beginning in August 2024. “They repeatedly cut off our electricity,” she added.

Hajieva recalled repeatedly warning the excavator driver that there were people inside the house.
“He looked up at me, made eye contact — and then started the machine and began the demolition. Part of the wall fell on my sister’s shoulder. Glass shattered and cut my wrist,” she said.

She also noted that residents had contacted the authorities multiple times and were still in the middle of legal proceedings against the company. On 19 March, the Yasamal District Court had issued a ruling banning the demolition, any damage to the building, or any other technical intervention.

“He looked me in the eye and laughed,” Hajieva said of the excavator driver. “Other Melissa Group employees were there too. I screamed, ‘Have mercy, they’re killing us, help us!’ — but none of them moved.”

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that a criminal case has been opened, and the director of Melissa Group, the site foreman, and the excavator driver have all been detained. The State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture stated that the demolition was being carried out without the required permits and has since been halted.

JAMnews was unable to get a response from Melissa Group.