BEIJING – Thousands of people have been evacuated from several high-rise apartment buildings in the north China city of Tianjin in recent days after landslides created large cracks in nearby streets, according to state media and the local government.
Large fissures have appeared on roads near a residential compound in Tianjin’s Jinnan district and geological experts said they were likely caused by underground cavities below a depth of 4,270 feet, the Tianjin government said on social media on Thursday. .
As of June 3, a total of 3,899 residents of at least three 25-story high-rise buildings have been evacuated to nearby hotels, the state-run Global Times newspaper reported, citing the district government.
The Tianjin government called the incident a «sudden geological disaster» following preliminary information from geological experts and various government departments after they conducted surveying, mapping and monitoring at the site.
«The situation is very rare,» according to an expert questioned about the incident at the Tianjin municipal government headquarters.
It cannot be ruled out that geothermal well drilling has resulted in soil loss and land subsidence in the area, the Tianjin government said.
Experts said high-rise buildings facing the street were affected to varying degrees.
Crooked and warped roads could be seen in photos on social media, while others showed a section of a building’s wall tiles collapsed to the ground.
The incident adds to building safety concerns in China, where the government has enforced stricter rules and policies and imposed stiff penalties for negligent property management.
In addition, the Chinese government has recently held several high-level meetings on preparedness for hidden and geological disasters.