On the afternoon of May 25th, a tower crane collapsed at a high-rise building under construction in Zhang County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, causing 3 deaths according to official Chinese state media reports. However, some netizens claim to have seen a banner indicating that 5 people were killed.
A video circulating online shows two young individuals sitting on chairs, suddenly witnessing a tower crane fall from the top of a high-rise building across from them. They captured this moment on camera.
According to a report by the New Beijing News on May 26th, the emergency management department in Zhang County stated that after a segment of the tower crane at the under-construction high-rise building broke, some components fell, piercing through the protective netting on the exterior of the building. Part of the crane components dropped to the ground below, resulting in the deaths of 3 individuals. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
However, some netizens have expressed doubts, saying, “I saw a banner saying 5 people (died).” Other netizens also commented, “Surely it’s more than 3 deaths, the numbers are being downplayed. 3 deaths can be managed at the city level, 4 deaths require provincial-level handling.” “Less than 3 deaths is one level of accidents, 3 to 9 deaths are another level, 10 to 29 are another level, and 30 or more deaths are yet another level. This is all carefully controlled.”
The accident has sparked heated discussions online, with many netizens criticizing the construction quality and safety measures. Some asked, “I’ve always wondered how a level is completed in 5 days, how did it pass quality inspections?” “In the past, we used to complete six floors in a month, even managing seven floors in the fastest month. Carpenters were even afraid to remove the formwork; once the crane turned, the entire building shook.” “Building construction nowadays is like playing with toy blocks.” “During each inspection, riding that elevator makes people feel extremely nervous.”
“Some have said, ‘From afar, it looks like a piece of tofu has fallen!’ ‘The quality of today’s cement is incomparable to that of the past!’ ‘Isn’t this reinforced concrete too weak, I’m afraid it won’t withstand an earthquake.’ ‘With this construction quality, even if the building is completed, would you dare to live in it?'”
There are also comments speculating, “In Sichuan, a construction site can have 10 deaths at once without it being brought to light. It seems that the owner of this construction site has offended someone, or is being targeted by a competitor.”