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SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS: Rescuers work to save lives at the accident scene in Hangzhou, on November 16 |
The recent collapse of a Hangzhou subway construction site that killed more than 20 people on November 15 is still under investigation, but debate is already raging about who should be held responsible.
As early as November 18 after a primary accident investigation by the Fourth Bureau of the China Railway Construction Group Co. Ltd., Deputy Manager of Xianghu Station on No.1 Subway Route Mei Xiaofeng attributed the disaster to the copious ground water in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, which creates variable soil conditions. A heavy rainstorm in October had exacerbated the danger of loose earth, he said, adding that the large volume of traffic on Fengqing Road, part of which buckled into the subway tunnel, was also a factor.
According to Yang Guoxiang, Chief Engineer of tunnel design, the cause may involve three key factors: the condition of the earth around the site, the foundation pit design and the construction operation.
Yang noted that Hangzhou is located on the alluvial plain, which mostly consists of soft soil, leading to a high risk of construction site cave-ins.
Wang Mengshu, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, fired several questions at the Hangzhou authorities via the press.
Firstly, the local leadership made an arbitrary decision on the planning and design of the subway construction and ignored the opinion of professionals. The project was started hastily, without a careful consideration, Wang said.
Secondly, unprofessional constructing methods were deployed, which were unsuitable for the ground conditions, he added.
Thirdly, unreasonable cuts in the construction period and budget also affected safety conditions, he noted.
According to a report by Caijing, an independent Beijing-based magazine, Li Changjin, an employee of the contractor, admitted that they had ignored many problems while rushing to finish the project. Pressure to complete the job probably came from the local government, according to a source from the construction business.
In the race to meet deadlines, workers are often asked to give up weekends and vacations. Some workers who survived the accident said they regularly began work at 6 a.m. and usually ended around 1 a.m. the following day, the report said.
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CRUSHED: About 50 people and 11 vehicles were trapped when a subway tunnel construction site caved in on November 15 in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province (CFP) |
And fourthly, according to Wang, there was a sewage pipe with a chronic leak in the construction site that could have partly contributed to the accident.
Hangzhou Municipal Government released a response to Wang's accusations, stating that his conclusions "contradicted the facts and disturbed rescue efforts and the settlement of the disaster."
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