Man killed as Shanghai apartment block collapses

Published on June 28, 2009 by brooks | This story has been viewed 892 views

A 13-story residential building under construction in Shanghai collapsed yesterday, killing one worker and highlighting the dangers of shoddy building in fast-urbanizing China.

The building, in the outskirts of the city, collapsed at around 6am, with one construction worker killed, Xinhua news agency reported.

The block of high-rise residential flats was shown on its side in a muddy construction site, in footage from Hong Kong’s Cable Television. Exposed pilings stood in the remains of the building’s foundations.

It appeared to be almost complete with fitted windows and a finished, tiled facade. Other similar-looking blocks in the same property development were still standing nearby.

Shoddy construction and the use of sub-standard materials is a major concern for China’s construction sector as the country scrambles to build out cities and finish massive infrastructure projects to keep pace with fast economic growth.

Construction-related accidents last year included the collapse of a steel arch on a new railway bridge, which killed at least seven and a crane which fell on a kindergarten, killing five.

The collapse of dozens of schools during last year’s Sichuan earthquake, when in some cases buildings around them withstood the tremor, also led to a wave of public outrage about corrupt officials and construction firms.

The Xinhua news agency said that a 28-year-old worker, surnamed Xiao, had gone into the building to get his tools and tried to jump out the window when the building fell. He was from Anhui Province.

The accident occurred in the “Lotus Riverside” residential community in Minxing district.

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