4 detained for demolishing load-bearing walls

Police in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, have criminally detained four people for allegedly demolishing load-bearing walls of a high-rise 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 Limin Xueyuan residential community, the demolition of load-bearing walls during the renovation of a house on the third floor resulted in walls cracking on the fourth and sixth floors of the unit.

The person who rented the house allegedly planned to turn it into a gym. It is unknown whether the tearing down of the walls was intentional or accidental.

Visible cracks could be seen on the facade of the 31-story building on Tuesday.

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

Residents living in over 200 rooms in the building were relocated to nearby hotels. The market value of the building is said to exceed 160 million yuan ($23 million).

The city's government has set up an investigation team, and 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 answer residents' questions and help them continue living normal lives.

Emergency measures such as partial support have been adopted to prevent further structural damage and deformation, the government said.

A 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.