Action taken against four suspects for demolishing load-bearing walls

Police in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, have taken criminal coercive measures against four people for reportedly demolishing load-bearing walls of a residential building in the city's Songbei district, according to the district government on Tuesday.

According to a statement released on April 28 by the property management company of Liminxueyuan residential community, the demolition of load-bearing walls during the decoration on the third floor of Unit 2, Building B, resulted in wall cracking on the fourth and sixth floors of the unit.

"To ensure safety, all residents need to leave the building immediately and wait for further notice," the statement said.

Residents from over 200 households in the 31-floor building then were relocated to nearby hotels.

The city's government has set up an investigation team and relevant investigation, monitoring and disposal work is underway.

The district government has dispatched 15 working groups to visit every household, and special consultation and reception centers have been set up where experts, lawyers, medical workers and relevant professionals can receive and answer residents' questions as well as ensure their normal life.

According to the opinions of testing institutions and expert groups, emergency measures such as partial support have been adopted to prevent further structural damage and deformation, the government said.

Corresponding plan will be formulated to protect the legitimate rights and interests of residents depending on the technical report issued by the authoritative testing institutions.