TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A total of 197 households with 367 people have been evacuated from a group of apartments in Taipei after they suddenly started titling on Thursday (Sept. 7).
The apartment buildings in the Dazhi area of Taipei's Zhongshan District began tilting possibly due to nearby excavation work for a construction project. The city government dispatched water and grouting trucks and as of Friday morning (Sept. 8), grouting work is still ongoing to maintain the pressure balance and prevent severe tilting, reported CNA.
(Taipei City Councilor Chen Yi-jun photo)
The police have implemented traffic controls on the surrounding roads, including Dazhi Street Lane 84, Dazhi Street Lane 94, Dazhi Street Lane 94 Alley 1, Dazhi Street Lane 94 Alley 3, and Dazhi Street Lane 124. These areas are designated as "exit only," and drivers should avoid traveling to these locations.
Taipei City police and fire departments received a report at 8:34 p.m. on Thursday that an apartment building in a Dazhi Street alley was leaning, with cracks appearing in tiles and walls. Authorities found five to six buildings next to the construction site were affected. They set up a cordon and initially evacuated 25 households, with no injuries reported.
(CNA photo)
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) arrived at the scene at about 11 p.m. and said the preliminary assessment was a construction project near the area had been excavated to a depth of three floors underground without completing the foundation work. This led to the slurry wall being unable to withstand the pressure and collapsing. To deal with the problem, crews first injected water and then grout to restore the pressure, said Chiang.
According to a press release issued by the Taipei City Government, 35 households with 144 people were initially evacuated. Later, the number of evacuees was increased to 159 people, and the city government assisted them in checking into hotels.
(CNA photo)
The city government announced early Friday morning that personnel had worked through the night to place 367 residents from 197 households into nine hotels. In addition, Dominican International School has suspended classes as a precautionary measure.
Kee Tai Properties Co. Ltd., which is responsible for the construction project, said it will not shirk its responsibilities and will provide multiple improvement plans to address the rights and interests of the affected residents. The project has been completely suspended and the extent of financial losses has yet to be determined.
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
(CNA photo)
