Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7
The collapse of Block 7 at Lotus Riverside in 2009 is an accident in which one person died.
Events
On June 27, 2009 at 5:30 Am UTC+8, Block 7, one of the eleven 13-story buildings of the apartment complex, toppled over sideways, killing one migrant worker named Xiao Dekun.Explanations
According to the Wall Street Journal, which referenced Shanghai Daily:
"According to Shanghai Daily, initial investigations attribute the accident to the excavations for the construction of a garage under the collapsed building. Large quantities of earth were removed and dumped in a landfill next to a nearby creek; the weight of the earth caused the river bank to collapse, which, in turn, allowed water to seep into the ground, creating a muddy foundation for the building that toppled."
Litigation
The family of the migrant worker who died in the collapse, Xiao Dekun, received 775,000 RMB in compensation.13 were tried over the collapse, 8 others including local regulators and subcontractors had their licenses terminated and were fined 500,000 RMB. 9 investors were fired from their local government jobs for conflicts of interest. The 2 top shareholders, Que Jingde and Zhang Zhiqin, were sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted on charges of graft, embezzlement of corporate funds, and negligence leading to a serious accident. Zhang was also fined 5 million RMB and Que was fined 2 million RMB.