SHANGHAI, June 29 (UPI) -- The collapse of a nearly-complete 13-story apartment building in Shanghai is causing jitters among people living in nearby buildings, residents said.
They fear their buildings are as unsafe as the structure that collapsed Saturday in the largest Chinese city's riverside Minhang district, killing a 28-year-old worker, who was collecting his tools, China Daily reported.
The building fell almost intact and photographs showed the structure spread-eagle on the ground with similar tall buildings seen standing in the background. Authorities said pillars that were supposed to have been buried deep underground had been uprooted.
A 60-year-old resident in one of the nearby buildings demanded a refund on her apartment, saying it is unsafe, the report said. Hundreds of other concerned homeowners had purchased similar apartments priced at about $2,090 per square meter (10.7 square feet).
The report said the collapsed building's developer allegedly had been working with a construction license that expired in 2004.
One architect told the Shanghai Morning Post, "The builder should have taken into consideration the riverside location and loose soil."
A woman who had purchased an apartment in the collapsed building said she was devastated as she had spent her life savings and borrowed about $59,000 more to make the purchase.
"Buyers of the collapsed building will definitely get their money back, but it is not sure if others who still have their property will," one lawyer said.
An investigation of the 10 other apartment blocks in the area showed they are safe, the report said.
Poor construction has been a major concern in China's building sector as the country rolls out enormous city expansions to keep pace with fast economic growth, China Daily said.
