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7 arrested for role in building collapse

By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-13 15:31

Workers restart their work to demolish a toppled building in Shanghai yesterday. The demolition of the 13-story building, which fell down almost intact, has drawn protests from apartment owners.[China Daily]

Seven people who oversaw construction of a building in Shanghai that toppled over, killing one, have been arrested for their role in the disaster.

Two developers of the property, Zhang Zhiqin and Qin Yonglin, will face trial, along with Zhang Yaojie, Xia Jiangang and Lu Weiying, who worked with the construction company. Also arrested was Qiao Lei, who supervised the construction, and Zhang Yaoxiong, the brother of Zhang Yaojie.

These seven are responsible for the accident, according to Shanghai Minhang District Prosecutors' Office.

Zhang Yaoxiong and his brother, who is the board chairman of Shanghai Zhongxin Construction Company Ltd, participated in the decision to dig an underground parking garage, which led to the collapse, according to Lu Qinjian with the prosecutor's office.

The seven will face trial within one or two months, Lu said. According to the law, a person charged with causing a major accident faces a maximum of seven years' imprisonment, if convicted.

Around dawn on June 27, a 13-story unfinished building in Lotus Riverside residential complex in suburban Minhang district fell over, almost intact, killing one migrant worker who had gone to fetch tools.

An investigation found that the collapse was caused by piled-up mud nearly 10 meters high on one side, and underground excavation for a parking garage on the other side.

Related readings:  Toppled building payment offer near  Demolition of collapsed building in Shanghai underway   Collapsed building now in tour package

On July 28, municipal government officials announced that 13 individuals related to the collapse would face prosecution, and eight others from the supervision company and digging company have had their licenses revoked and have been fined or fired or both.

The developer, Shanghai Meidu Real Estate Company Ltd, and the construction company will lose their licenses and will be fined 500,000 yuan.

Before the building's collapse, almost 500 of 620 residential units in 11 buildings had been sold at an average price of 14,300 yuan per sq m. Its latest price has risen to 18,800 yuan per sq m.

Compensation was offered to the homeowners but they have rejected the offers. Shanghai Meidu has promised to release this week the sales price of the property on June 26. That price will serve as a basis for negotiating compensation.

"The remains of the building are almost gone," said Wang Laiyun, a homeowner of the collapsed building. "We wanted to stop it but lots of policemen were guarding the site."