13 Story Building in Shanghai Falls Over Spontaneously

[Dsa]

http://www.alivenotdead.com/etchy/13-Story-Building-in-Shanghai-Falls-Over-Spontaneously-profile-679589.html

An entire 13 story building under construction collapsed at 6am on June 27th. Not sure if they know exactly why yet.

 

More photos : http://bbs.sh.liba.com/t_13_4222203_1.htm

 

 

 

[Cataclaw]

Zhou Xuejun, 60, burst into tears and demanded a refund for her residential unit, which she says is unsafe after a nearby building collapsed in Shanghai's Minhang district.

 

"I can't live there," she cried as she pounded on a desk yesterday at the government reception center set up to deal with the accident. Standing behind her were hundreds of other angry homeowners, who spent millions on similar apartments priced at about 14,300 yuan ($2,090) per sq m.

 

Sheng Shunchang, a homeowner, said: "I want my money back and compensation for the price gap when I buy a new property, considering the soaring property prices."

 

The residents have bought units at 11 apartment blocks in the "Lotus Riverside" residential community, which is under construction on the eastern outskirts of Shanghai.

 

About 5:40 am on Saturday, one of those buildings fell on its side, almost intact. Pillars that were supposed to be buried deep under the earth were uprooted. A 28-year-old worker surnamed Xiao from Anhui province was killed as he collected his tools from the falling building.

 

Anger and tears over collapse of building

The 13-story apartment building, which was under construction, toppled over almost intact, killing one worker. [China Daily]

 

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the developer, Shanghai Meidu Real Estate Company, has been working illegally because its construction license expired in 2004.

 

Zhang Suping, who lives across the river from the collapsed building, said his family and neighbors were woken at dawn by the falling building.

 

"I thought it was an earthquake and I ran downstairs, where I found other neighbors looking at the collapsed building," he said.

 

About 132 households across the street were evacuated, and 120 families moved to hotels paid for by the district government.

 

Shanghai mayor Han Zheng and Party secretary Yu Zhengsheng have ordered an investigation into the collapse.

 

An initial investigation found that the rest of the buildings are safe. "An investigation team formed by experts found that by 6 pm of Saturday, none of the other 10 buildings have tilt, shift or sank," the report says.

 

"And government departments have also found no leaking, cracks or moving of gas pipes, power wires or water pipes. They all meet the safety standards and chance of a secondary disaster is low."

 

However, Xu Jianping, who signed a contract for an apartment in one of those buildings only 10 days ago said: "I dare not move in."

 

Most residents are demanding refunds and compensation, but experts doubt whether their claims will be successful. Zhang Qi, a man in his 50s, said he wants his money back and compensation of an equal amount. Zhang and his new wife bought a property in February with a loan of 450,000 yuan.

 

"We are paying back the bank," he said. "I won't be able to afford another property nearby even if I get my money back."

 

Zhou Xuejun, another owner, said she was devastated because she had spent her life savings and borrowed 400,000 yuan to pay for the unit that she not dare to move into now.

 

Si Weijiang, a lawyer, said the refund and compensation claims would depend on the result of investigations.

 

"Buyers of the collapsed building will definitely get their money back, but it is not sure if others who still have their property will," he said.

 

Related readings:

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"According to Chinese law, they cannot have their money back or be compensated unless it is proved that their properties are too dangerous to live in even after renovation.

 

"And as I see it, courts rarely support compensation claims for price gap in such situations."

 

An architect surnamed Meng with Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Design Group told the Shanghai Morning Post: "The builder should have taken into consideration the riverside location and loose soil."

 

On Friday, some residents said they saw that the anti-flood bank of nearby Dianpu Lake was broken after days of rainfall.

 

It is also suspected that piled-up mud, about the height of 3 to 4 floors, which had been dug out from under the buildings had caused the ground tilt, and that this led to the bank break and the building collapse.

 

Sub-standard construction has been a major concern in the building sector, as the country rolls out enormous city expansions and finishes off vast infrastructure projects to keep pace with fast economic growth.

 

The Shanghai government yesterday ordered developers to ensure safety during the construction of all projects.

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-06/29/content_8331674.htm

 

[Cataclaw]

Read a few more articles about this disaster...

 

The construction company had an expired license, didn't study the soil, and didn't take it into account. The building was built on mud... insane.

[monctezuma]

Autant cet évènement est triste pour les acheteurs et leurs familles, autant ce site pourrait facilement devenir une attraction touristique.

[etienne]

J'ai eut un doute un moment, pensant que cette image était liée à la nouvelle sur les Jardins Windsor

 

 

Jardins Windsor: poursuite de 2,1 millions

 

[Cataclaw]

Désolé, mais les Jardins Windsor, c'est pas comparable à une tour construite en Chine sur de la boue par une compagnie sans license de construction qui n'a même pas fait d'étude de sol.

[mtlurb]

Désolé, mais les Jardins Windsor, c'est pas comparable à une tour construite en Chine sur de la boue par une compagnie sans license de construction qui n'a même pas fait d'étude de sol.

 

Haha!

[Cataclaw]

Bigger photos

 

 

[yarabundi]

A tout malheur il y a une bonne chose : les résidents de cet édifice n'ont plus à se soucier d'une éventuelle panne d'ascenseur !!

Détail intéressant : l'édifice ne s'est pas effondré mais il s'est couché sur le côté !! Bizarre tout de même !! Ce sont les fondations qui n'étaient pas terribles mais l'édifce en lui-même est suffisamment solide pour qu'il soit presqu'intact après s'être couché sur le côté !!

Êtr un résident dans une des autres tours je n'aurait certainement pas envie de retourner chez moi !!

[Cataclaw]

L'édifice était assez solide, c'est vrai! Je crois qu'il a tombé pour la simple raison qu'il a été construit par dessus 15 mètres de boue . Petit détail comme ça! :silly: