Shops bulldozed while owners sleeping inside
By Saladin Xu |
July 18, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BULLDOZERS began demolishing a vegetable market in Shaanxi Province in the dead of night while shop owners were sleeping in the buildings, the Xi'an Evening News reported yesterday.
Police are investigating the demolition after vendors at the wholesale market in Shaanxi Province's Changwu County called at 2am last Friday to report that their shops were being torn down.
The vendors believed the demolition was conducted by county officials promoting a new development on the site, according to the newspaper.
Vendors said they were told in April by officials to relocate but refused to leave without suitable compensation as they had all signed 50-year contracts.
These have only run for 14 years, said vendors.
Shop owner Cui Aixia told the newspaper that she was sleeping alone in her shop when she felt the whole building shaking.
"I thought it was an earthquake so I got up and ran but the entrance of the shop was blocked by falling concrete, stones and bricks," said Cui.
"I had to crawl out through gaps in the debris."
Another shop owner, surnamed Ma, told the newspaper that he lived near the market and arrived at the scene after hearing loud noises.
Ma said he saw two bulldozers rolling into the street and pushing down shop walls.
After the demolition teams left, Ma said he found a name card showing the vehicles belonged to a man named Lei Jinlu, and told police.
Lei has been taken into custody by police for questioning, reported the newspaper.
Police are investigating the demolition after vendors at the wholesale market in Shaanxi Province's Changwu County called at 2am last Friday to report that their shops were being torn down.
The vendors believed the demolition was conducted by county officials promoting a new development on the site, according to the newspaper.
Vendors said they were told in April by officials to relocate but refused to leave without suitable compensation as they had all signed 50-year contracts.
These have only run for 14 years, said vendors.
Shop owner Cui Aixia told the newspaper that she was sleeping alone in her shop when she felt the whole building shaking.
"I thought it was an earthquake so I got up and ran but the entrance of the shop was blocked by falling concrete, stones and bricks," said Cui.
"I had to crawl out through gaps in the debris."
Another shop owner, surnamed Ma, told the newspaper that he lived near the market and arrived at the scene after hearing loud noises.
Ma said he saw two bulldozers rolling into the street and pushing down shop walls.
After the demolition teams left, Ma said he found a name card showing the vehicles belonged to a man named Lei Jinlu, and told police.
Lei has been taken into custody by police for questioning, reported the newspaper.
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