On September 26, in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, residents of the Zhaoyuan Pavilion community in Zheng’an County posted a video on social media claiming that a neighboring development company conducted a late-night explosion that triggered a landslide, causing huge rocks to roll down and smash into buildings in the adjacent community.
The video footage shows a landslide on one side of the community, with massive rocks rolling down and crashing into residential buildings. In the video, one homeowner’s wall was destroyed by the impact of a giant rock, leaving the interior of the house in disarray.
Mrs. Weng, a resident of the community, told the media that at 3 a.m. that day, a loud noise woke everyone in the community, revealing that tens of thousands of tons of rocks had smashed through two buildings, causing injuries and structural damage. The developer only arranged nearby hotels for them after daybreak, without providing further instructions on how to address the situation.
According to Mrs. Liu, another resident of the community, the Zhaoyuan Pavilion community consists of only two residential buildings, and the one hit by the rocks was Building 2 where she lives.
Mrs. Liu said that around 3:20 a.m. on the 26th, she was awakened by a strong tremor and loud noise. She described the noise as exceptionally loud and sustained, causing significant damage to the first three floors of the buildings, with visible cracks throughout.
Footage from Mrs. Liu’s home surveillance camera shows nearly eight seconds of rumbling noise followed by intense shaking of the buildings lasting about four seconds.
She stated, “The neighboring construction company has been working around the clock since the beginning of the year, causing constant disturbance. Last night’s explosion was part of their plan to blast the hillside for more construction.” Building 2 in the community is now cordoned off, and all residents have been relocated for safety.
Other residents shared in the video comments section, with one stating, “I am the owner of this building in the community. This is most likely from the neighboring project, quietly laying explosives in the middle of the night. The entire house was shaking like an earthquake.” Another netizen mentioned, “The explosion happened above a school.”
The news sparked discussions among netizens, with some commenting, “An explosion in the middle of the night, unbelievable. Clearly sneaky behavior.” Some expressed concerns, “Is this building no longer safe?” Others remarked, “Working in the early morning, impressive,” and “Blasting on a mountainside near urban areas should require expensive safety measures to prevent public hazards and face potential penalties.”
However, the North Garden Community Slope Rockfall Disposal Work Team of Zheng’an County issued a report at 19:00 on the same day, stating that at 3:30 a.m., a rockfall occurred on the right side (southeast direction) of the Zhaoyuan Pavilion in Beiyuan Community, Fengyi Street, Zheng’an County, damaging six housing units in Building 02 of Zhaoyuan Pavilion, with no casualties or evidence of late-night construction work.
The official report sparked further discussions online, with netizens expressing skepticism about the details and authenticity. Some remarked, “From an explosion to falling rocks, quite a transformation.” Others pointed out the discrepancies, “Construction activities and landslides are entirely different things.” Concerns were raised about the intensity of the rockfall at such a close range and the precision of the damage, questioning the experience of those in charge of the explosion and the credibility of official statements.