11 August 2003
Some 45 migrant workers were buried after a half finished building collapsed on 9 August in Gaolin village, Heshan Township, Xiamen City, while over 40 others escaped. 38 workers were later rescued with injuries but seven have died.
It is believed the building - a 2,000 sq metre construction collapsed after workers began to lay concrete to add a second storey to the existing structure.
Initial investigations revealed that the villager organizing the construction, Lin Tianhou, did not have approval for either the design or the construction and had begun work without reporting it to the local construction and safety inspection authorities. It is also believed that the contractor and the workers were not qualified to undertake the work.
Lin Tianhou and six contractors were under interrogation.
Officials from the Xiamen Construction Bureau stated that many of the city's construction sites were hazardous, especially in the suburbs where illegal construction is rife. It was announced at an emergency meeting of the Xiamen government that a city wide safety inspection of construction sites would be launched.
Some 45 migrant workers were buried after a half finished building collapsed on 9 August in Gaolin village, Heshan Township, Xiamen City, while over 40 others escaped. 38 workers were later rescued with injuries but seven have died.
It is believed the building - a 2,000 sq metre construction collapsed after workers began to lay concrete to add a second storey to the existing structure.
Initial investigations revealed that the villager organizing the construction, Lin Tianhou, did not have approval for either the design or the construction and had begun work without reporting it to the local construction and safety inspection authorities. It is also believed that the contractor and the workers were not qualified to undertake the work.
Lin Tianhou and six contractors were under interrogation.
Officials from the Xiamen Construction Bureau stated that many of the city's construction sites were hazardous, especially in the suburbs where illegal construction is rife. It was announced at an emergency meeting of the Xiamen government that a city wide safety inspection of construction sites would be launched.