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October 24, 2019

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Building collapse probe results released

The Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau released the results of its probe into a building collapse on Zhaohua Road in Changning District, which killed 12 workers on May 16.

According to the bureau’s report, the collapse was due to weakened load-bearing capacity of the main wall of the factory building, which was undergoing renovation at the time of the incident. The renovation made the wall even more vulnerable, but no protection or reinforcement measures were taken. The collapsed wall brought down the entire building, turning everything into rubble, the bureau said on Tuesday.

The report also noted that workers were living in the area under renovation, which was the main reason why so many were killed and injured.

The factory building was constructed in 1963, according to the bureau, and the property rights belonged to Shanghai Automobile Import and Export Co, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor. The company rented the building to Shanghai Chenhan Business Management Co, which was in charge of the renovation.

Chenhan entrusted the work to Nantong Longyao Construction Engineering Co, which was not certified to carry out such kind of renovations. According to the bureau’s report, Chenhan was aware of this issue.

Around 11:10am on May 16, the southeast corner of the building collapsed. Soon the whole structure went down, leaving 25 people buried under debris. A total of 300 firefighters rushed to the scene within minutes.

By 1:45am the next day rescue work had wrapped up, as all people trapped under the debris were found. In total, 12 people died in the incident and 10 were seriously injured.

In December last year, local construction authorities visited the factory site on Zhaohua Road following complaints that renovation work was kicking up large quantities of dust. Authorities ordered a halt on renovations until required construction permission could be obtained, yet the company was not penalized, according to the bureau’s report.

Later in March, April and May, the authority again ordered the site to halt construction, but work carried on.

The bureau recommends that eight individuals involved in the incident be transferred to judicial authorities, including the owners of Chenhan and Nantong Longyao, and persons in charge of the renovation site.

Chenhan, Nantong Longyao and Shanghai Automobile Asset Management Co, which managed the building, should each face fines of 2.3 million yuan (US$324,859), it added.

The bureau said that the district construction authority had also neglected its duties.




 

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