Nine people held after 13-storey block of flats collapses in China

Daily Mail

Nine people are being held in connection to the 13-storey block of flats that dramatically collapsed at the weekend killing one worker.

The nearly completed building at Shanghai's 'Lotus Riverside' apartment complex toppled over almost intact on Saturday morning raising further concerns about building safety standards being overlooked in favour of fast construction in China's rush to modernise.

Reports on the city government's Website said nine employees of the real estate developer, the contractor and the supervisor for the project had been put 'under control' and the developer's bank account was frozen, as home buyers demanded their money back.


Nine are held in an investigation into the toppled 13-storey tower


The incident again raised concerns that building safety standards are being overlooked in favour of fast construction

Initial investigations found that the building fell over after workers dug underneath to put in an underground garage.

Earth removed from under the building and dumped in a landfill area nearby had caused the bank of the river next to the complex to collapse, reported state-run newspaper, Shanghai Daily.
Safety checks at other construction sites have also been ordered by the government.

The city issued a notice requiring work safety checks at all construction projects in the city, with top officials warning of severe punishment for those responsible for the building's collapse.
Meanwhile, rescuers were searching a river in northeast China after part of a road bridge caved in this morning sending vehicles plunging into the water below.

Rescuers had saved all of the 16 drivers and passengers on seven vehicles that fell into the river in Tieli, a city in Heilongjiang province, Tieli's mayor, Zhang Yang confirmed.

Zhang said the bridge, built in 1973 and repaired in 1997, fell in because of a truck overloaded with construction materials, but that the river was relatively shallow.


Riverside view: The collapsed building is one of 11 in the complex
China's construction sector has long been plagued with quality problems.

Massive casualties among students whose school buildings collapsed during last year's catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan province raised complaints from parents and others who accused builders of cutting corners to boost profits.
Collapses of bridges, highways and buildings have often been linked to endemic corruption, as officials and contractors skimp on construction materials or issue approvals without proper inspections.

Such problems are more common in rural areas and inland provinces than in major cities like Shanghai, where controls usually are more rigorously enforced.

Lotus Riverside has 11 13-story apartment buildings. Units in the building that collapsed had sold for 14,297 yuan (about $2,100) a square meter.

The city's Minhang district said in a statement that 'buyers' money is safe,' however.

well, corruption is bad..

wonder how it fell down......

using less material.
approvals without proper inspections

ron1404 wrote:using less material.
approvals without proper inspections

Oh, I see....well the good thing is that the building wasn't finished yet, or else lots of people would of died

i wonder how much money they`ll spend on cleaning that thing up >M<

it will used alot of money . more than they takes to makes this building..