A building collapse killed 53 people in Changsha, Hunan Province on April 29, causing great public concern about illegally built or extended buildings.
The eight-story building was built more than 10 years ago. Six floors were rented for commercial use, including stores, a restaurant, a theater and a guest house. Two floors had rented apartments.
Rescue efforts lasted a week and involved 23 fire trucks, 134 firefighters and four sniffer dogs, with 10 people pulled alive from the rubble. The remains of the 53 victims have been found.
A preliminary investigation found the building’s owner surnamed Wu and three others in charge of design and construction allegedly made illagal alterations. Police also detained several people from a suryeying firm who allegedly issued a false safety certificate.
By May 4, Changsha had urgently examined more than 400,000 “self-built” constructions. On May 6, the State Council set up a team of experts in construction, security and law to investigate the cause of the collapse. The results have not yet been published.
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