SHENZHEN – Business owners face uncertain prospects after being shut out of a skyscraper in southern China that started to unexpectedly shake last week and sent passers-by running in panic.
The 300m SEG Plaza in Shenzhen near Hong Kong began shaking last Tuesday, prompting its occupants to evacuate and pedestrians to flee for safety.
Emergency management officials quickly ruled out a quake as the cause of the wobble in the tech hub’s Futian district, and a probe is ongoing into the cause.
One business owner said he was on the 53rd floor when the building started swaying last week.
“I saw something move, (and) when I got up I saw everything move,” said Arman Hasanpour, an Iranian businessman based in the building.
“After that, we came out very fast.”
He said there has been “a few shakes” since the initial wobbling of the building, which was built in 2000.
“Now, we don’t know how to make business and how to cope with it... everything is not clear.”
Yesterday, the SEG building was sealed off with red tape covering the entrances.
But a handful of business owners from the electronics market on the ground floor were rolling trolleys packed with taped-up goods out of the shuttered tower.
Across the road, an electronics trader surnamed Wang said he heard people complain before that the skyscraper had swayed.
“But not as serious as this time,” he added.
The building’s owner said it will remain closed until the cause of the swaying is confirmed.
So far, officials have found “no safety abnormalities” in the building’s structure or surroundings, said the local government in a statement.
Many locals appeared nonplussed yesterday, with crowds of pedestrians and office workers walking past the skyscraper – a far cry from online footage last week that showed panicked shoppers sprinting away from the building.
“They’re solving the problem,” shrugged one trader selling electronic cigarettes opposite the tower.
But others are still speculating whether the building will reopen.
Building accidents or collapses are not uncommon in China, often linked to lax construction standards or corruption.
But an incident at one of the city’s tallest buildings has drawn attention and speculation.
“I saw people running across, and I was wondering what happened, then I saw the building was shaking on top,” reflected an electronic cigarette trader surnamed Fang.
“No matter how it falls it’ll be really dangerous. It’s so tall and there are so many people.” – AFP, May 25, 2021
