In the early hours of Wednesday (17th), a dilapidated residential building collapsed in Nanchang County, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, resulting in at least one death.
In the afternoon of July 17th, a notice from “Nanchang County” stated that around 3:40 am, partial collapse occurred in a residential building located at No. 130 Wenwei Road, Liantang Street, Nanchang County, with one person trapped. At 9:55 am, the trapped individual was rescued, but showed no signs of life. The cause of the accident is under further investigation.
Photos circulated online show many onlookers outside the community, with the police cordoning off the entrance to the area. The community sign reads “Building 16, 130 Wenwei Road.”
In the afternoon, a nearby shop owner informed a reporter from “Xiaoxiang Morning Post” that the collapsed building is situated west of Liantang Second Primary School, and is a six-story residential building. There were signs of dangerous conditions such as wall cracks in the building, prompting residents to evacuate. However, some residents, possibly owners, mentioned that they moved out to a new residence due to overheating and returned to the old building to cool off at night. The site has been sealed off, and surrounding residents are not allowed access to check the situation.
Another shop owner remarked that from their location, they could see the collapsed building, expressing concerns about the overall safety of buildings in the area.
This incident has sparked attention on social media platforms.
One netizen commented: “Old communities should be demolished rather than undergoing superficial renovations, which drain a significant amount of national resources”; “If old buildings are not demolished for reconstruction, only external repairs are done, then once the walls are repainted, the repair funds are embezzled.”
“Number 193 Jinggangshan Avenue is just like this. It feels like it could collapse at any time. The staircases hardly have railings, making it easy to step into nothingness with each step, and the building has five floors. On rainy days, water leaks from the fifth floor to the first floor.”
“The house at No. 18 Pergola Alley, Donghu District, Nanchang City, is also a hazardous structure. The building has severe cracks extending from the eighth floor to the second floor. The residents reported this to the district government and the subdistrict office last year. The leaders of the district government and subdistrict office also inspected the situation and classified it as hazardous. However, there has been no follow-up since then! We hope that authorities take notice and address our concerns. Living here offers no sense of safety!”