Inspectors Seek Cause of Slide : Building: L.A. officials want to determine if construction activity at the base of a hill triggered collapse of El Sereno apartments’ parking lot at top.

City officials inspecting the site of a landslide that forced the partial evacuation of an El Sereno apartment complex said Monday they are looking into whether construction at the base of the hill caused the collapse of concrete at the top.

Inspectors with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety asked the developer of the construction site for a report detailing conditions at the base of the hill and explaining how to brace against further slippage.

“A slide can be triggered by instability at the top or, if it’s undermined, at the bottom. Or a combination of both,” said David T. Hsu, a geotechnical engineer with the building and safety department.

Tons of dirt and debris tumbled down the hill at 12:20 p.m. Saturday. Los Angeles city firefighters evacuated about 100 residents from four buildings perched on the edge after the complex’s uppermost parking lot collapsed into a 10-foot sinkhole.

Ajit Mithaiwala, owner of Ajit Development and Investment Corp., the builder of the new 117-unit complex at the base of the hill, cautioned against drawing conclusions about what caused the slide. The company took soil samples from the collapsed parking area to test its stability.

“Taking soil is like taking blood,” he said when asked about the report. “It takes time.”

Construction at the base of the hill has ceased indefinitely.

“Until I’m satisfied that the people on the hill are safe, I have no interest in seeing further development take place,” said City Councilman Richard Alatorre, who toured the complex with safety inspectors Monday. Alatorre said he did not want to assign blame, but moments later pledged to “hold accountable” whoever investigators determine is responsible for the slide.

Most of the displaced residents, who were relocated Monday to empty apartments in undamaged areas of the 108-unit complex, were quick to point the finger at the builder.

“They really don’t have to tell us. It’s the construction down there,” said Frank Portill, 17, whose family was evacuated.

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But Shermont Banks, Ajit’s project manager for the site, cautioned against quick conclusions. “The first rush to judgment by some individuals is that the construction activity below caused the activity above. That’s always the first concern because these individuals aren’t experts.”

Managers of the shaken complex said they first noticed cracks in the pavement on July 14 and notified city building inspectors, who ordered construction work at the new site to stop. Workers at the site were trying to brace the hill when the earth began slipping Saturday afternoon.

American Red Cross relief workers have set up a shelter at a nearby junior high school, but over the weekend most of the residents stayed with relatives or, in some instances, in their cars. Firefighters later permitted some residents to salvage personal belongings from the complex.

The hurried trips in and out of apartments continued Monday, as dozens of residents retrieved sofas, refrigerators and other costly items.

Laboring under the scorching midday sun, Nick Navarro piled his pickup truck high with appliances, pillows and other goods for the short trip up Grey Drive to his new apartment. But like several other residents, Navarro said he would move out of the complex altogether as soon as he could, primarily because he no longer feels safe there.

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Unstable Hillside Authorities are trying to piece together what caused the El Sereno earthslide over the weekend. Investigators have asked the developer of a new apartment complex at the base of the hill to report on how to shore up the area. Here is a look at the situation: *

Slide site: Grey Drive, about eight miles north of Downtown. *

Evacuations: About 100 residents from four buildings of the Highlands apartment complex. *

Cause: Investigators say the collapse may have been caused by a lack of support for the earth elow, instability in the soil above, or a combination of both. *

The damage: A parking area next to one of the buildings collapsed into a 10- foot- deep sinkhole and two cars fell into the chasm. No injuries were reported.