Collapsing Buildings and Roadways

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Highway collapse, Jingdong, China, 03.11.25

Building Collapse in Manchester, UK

October 17, 2025, a playground collapsed at Zijiang School in Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, fortunately no casualties were reported. The Zijiang School playground collapse emergency response headquarters announced on Saturday that they have begun an investigation to the cause.

The emergency response headquarters confirmed that the west wall and some playgrounds of the campus of the school collapsed, and the corners of the west side of the Boxue Building (teaching building) were damaged.

ZETATALK: THE STRETCH ZONE, THAT SINKING FEELING

ZetaTalk explores the concept of Earth's "stretch zones"—regions where tectonic plates are being pulled apart due to planetary forces, particularly in anticipation of a predicted pole shift. It focuses heavily on the eastern seaboard of the U.S., the Caribbean, and parts of Europe, warning that these areas will experience significant land subsidence due to the widening of the Atlantic Rift.

Key points include:

• Historical evidence of submerged forests and civilizations off the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda.

• Predictions that areas like Florida, Georgia, and the UK will lose elevation and be permanently flooded.

• A detailed catalog of sinkholes, train derailments, infrastructure collapses, and mysterious odors from 2004–2005, interpreted as signs of Earth stretching.

• The concept of “imploding cities”, where underground infrastructure fails due to shifting rock layers.

• Warnings to relocate from vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas before the pole shift occurs.

More: https://www.zetatalk.com/index/blog1010.htm

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Overpass collapse could delay Thickwood interchange

Posted 3 hours ago

Morgan Modjeski

Today staff

A collapse at the Thickwood overpass could cause a delay in the opening of the Thickwood interchange, but Alberta Transportation said it will not cause a delay in the overall project.

Denis Courchesne, an employee of Lafarge who was on site at the time of the collapse, said it happened very quickly.

"I pulled up with my ready-mix concrete truck and I was pouring the concrete and I was about half done when suddenly, everything just caved in," he said.

"It caved in very suddenly and all of the concrete collapsed, so quickly that it bent the re-bar, in some areas by six feet.

"The concrete just sunk," said Courchesne.

According to Martin Dupuis, assistant director of communications for Alberta Transportation, the collapse is currently being investigated by the contractor, but little details are available.

"A concrete pour was being done on a portion of the bridge, the east portion, and there were beams that were supporting this and they shifted and that's what's caused the failure," said Dupuis.

Alberta Transportation said that an investigation is underway and that steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.

"The contractor is investigating this to see exactly what happened and we'll also come up with a plan to help any recurrence," he said.

The collapsed part of the bridge will be replaced, but costs affiliated with the replacement are not yet available. However, Dupuis noted it would be the responsibility of the contractor.

At the moment, weather conditions are being listed as the preliminary cause for the shifting beams and no one was hurt.

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3310285

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Roof Collapses on Old Church in Wheeling
Posted Thursday, September 22, 2011 ; 05:44 PM
Updated Thursday, September 22, 2011; 09:47 PM

According to the Wheeling fire officials it happened around 4 p.m. near 20th and Market Streets.

WHEELING -- Officials say a 20-feet by 30-feet portion of the roof over the sanctuary collapsed into the structure.

Officials say no one was injured and the building was locked up and empty at the time of the collapse.

Officials also say the collapse has put stress on the outside walls of the structure.

The structure and the road in front of it are currently blocked off. Market Street between 20th street and 21st street will be closed to traffic until a structural engineer can come in and assess the damage, authorities say.

According to officials, the building was no longer used as a church, but as a meeting place for different organizations.

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=108477

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Century-Old Building Near Busch Stadium “Structurally Unsound”

9/20/11-The historic Cupples 7 building at 11th and Spruce, built in 1907 and empty for years, has become “structurally unsound” and protective barriers are being set up around it

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -  City officials say the historic building on 11th Street between Spruce and Poplar downtown has become “structurally unsound”, and they’re taking steps to limit foot and automobile traffic near the seven-story structure.

Starting Tuesday, crews began putting up “Jersey barriers” and six-foot high chain-link fencing around the building, located two blocks west of Busch Stadium.

Access to the building will be restricted “to make sure no one gets hurt”, according to a statement from City Hall.

9/20/11-Workers begin putting up Jersey barriers and high fencing around the Cupples 7 building downtown Tuesday. (KMOX/Brett Blume)

“The roof of the building is missing,” according to Rodney Crim, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation.  “And so there have been years of deterioration that’s resulted from being open to the elements. So the building is very unstable.”

So unstable, in fact, that city engineers have shut down 11th Street from Spruce to Poplar, along with a half-block of Spruce east of 11th Street.

Crim was unable to estimate how long the restrictions will be in place, but noted they will impact traffic and parking for Cardinal games and soon, for Blues games at Scottrade Center a couple of blocks away.

CIty building inspectors have repeatedly cited the building’s owner, Ballpark Lofts III LLC, due to its deteriorating condition.

But company reps say they simply don’t have enough

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Missing Invermere senior found after apparent road collapse

The body of an 85-year-old Invermere man who had been reported missing Tuesday was found near a dirt road in the Jumbo Creek area a day later, a Columbia Valley RCMP spokesman told The Province.

Bogomir Rutar had driven to the backwoods area west of Invermere to search for firewood and to hunt, if the opportunity presented itself, said Staff-Sgt. Marko Shehovac.

But the old logging road he was driving on was unstable.

Shehovac said Rutar most likely drove up to the edge of the old road, which appears to have given way, sending him and his vehicle tumbling 200 metres down a cliff.

Searchers in an RCMP helicopter spotted his vehicle from the air.

Rutar’s body was found outside the vehicle, said Shehovac.

“Although 85 years of age, the male was described to be in good physical condition and often made similar excursions in the backcountry,” he added

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Missing+Invermere+senior+found+after+app...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Balcony collapse injures four schoolkids

Sep 23, 2011, 03.42AM IST

 The students got hurt when they were about to enter the premise. State urban development minister Firhad Hakim rushed to the spot and arranged for hospitalization of the injured student. Later, the mayor visited Sovan Chatterjee and Debasis Kar, KMC's director-general (building), reached the spot and said. Former CPM councillor Faiyaz Khan helped local youths to rescue a couple of students who were trapped under the debris.

Chatterjee later that the building was listed as insecure by the KMC building department. A local resident alleged that parts of the second floor were constructed illegally. "We need to take a decision on the fate of such buildings scattered all over the city," mayor said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Balcony-collapse-in....

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Manchester Man Injured In Trench Collapse
09/20/2011

 

A Manchester man was taken to the hospital after a trench collapsed around him Monday morning in Delaware County.

It happened just before 9 a.m., along 330th Street, south of Ryan. Authorities say Gudenkauf Tiling & Excavating of Manchester was digging a trench across 330th Street, just east of Highway 13, when it collapsed on the man.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s department identified the victim as 23 year-old Tony Marbach of Manchester, an employee of Gudenkauf Tiling & Excavating. Delaware County Sheriff John LeClere said the excavating crew was digging the trench to connect tile lines on both sides of the road. The collapse happened at the edge of the road.

Marbach was rescued shortly before 11 a.m. and flown to St Lukes hospital in Cedar Rapids.

http://www.kmch.com/wire/news/00431_092011_tony_051641.php

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Heavy rain washes away part of Mobley Road

 

Torrential rains Tuesday night caused a portion of the Comer Auditorium roof to collapse and a section of Mobley Road in north Columbus to wash out.

The old auditorium in Bibb City houses the offices of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which have been relocated to the Fox and Gallops rec centers.

About 15 percent of the facility’s roof collapsed, which caused extensive flooding to the first floor and basement, the city reported.

Joe Paull [e-mail] The Comer Recreation Center in Bibb City suffered significant damage to the roof as a result of the rain Tuesday night.

 

Joe Paull/[e-mail] A section of Mobley Road that passes over a creek was washed out as a result of Tuesday night’s rain.

 

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

Interim Public Services Director Ron Smith said he has seen the Comer damage from the ground level and called it “extensive.” He said the building, which is about 70 years old, is insured and adjusters have been on the site, but it’s too early to estimate the cost of repairs, how long the facility will be closed, or even if it’s worth repairing.

Smith said the city was planning to move the parks and rec offices to the new Citizens Service Center when it opens.

A short section of the west-bound lane of Mobley Road between Fallbranch Drive and Rivermont Court washed out where a concrete culvert runs beneath the street.

For the time being, the road is closed to through traffic and except for people wh

[Starr DiGiacomo]

One dead, one injured after Big Island zip line fails

HILO, BIG ISLAND-  One man was killed and another was critically injured after a zip line located north of Hilo Town failed without warning at about 9:30 Wednesday morning.

Hawaii County Police Capt. Randall Madeiros said a 30 foot wooden tower designed to hold the zip line in place suddenly collapsed.   

The man who was killed was half way across the zip line, which spans 2,300 feet above Honolii Stream, when he fell approximately 200 feet.  He was identified as a 36-year-old resident of Maui. 

The man who was injured was standing on the wooden tower and was about to go onto the zip line when it failed.  He was identified as a 35-year-old resident of Ohio and remains in critical condition at the Hilo Medical Center.  Madeiros said he suffered fractures and internal injuries.

Both victims work for Experiential Resources Incorporated, or ERi, a company based in Lahaina, Maui that specializes in the construction of zip lines and other adventure courses.  The president of the company released a statement late Wednesday.

“The ERi family extends our heartfelt sympathy and aloha to the family and friends of our employees,” said John White, who added that no other ERi employees were injured in the incident.

 

The zip line that failed is located four miles mauka of Hawaii Belt Road in the Paukaa area.  It was not yet open to the public.

“This particular zip line had been in operation for a week when the operator had asked for the construction company to tighten the line to make it faster,” Madeiros said in a telephone interview with Khon2. 

 

The company that owns the zip line and seven others, Lava Hotline, disputed the police department’s claim that the line in question had been deemed to slow. 

 

“I don't where that came from,” said Lava Hotline owner Gary Marrow.  “I know that the workers were working on part of the course that wasn't open and that’s all I know.  It had nothing to do with us, so it was really just the construction guys.”

 

While Lava Hotline owns the actual zip line course, Marrow’s other company, KapohoKine Adventures, handles bookings and transportation to and from the site.  The zip lines that remain were immediately closed to the public.

 

“The course is being shut down for the next two weeks while we do an inspection and make sure that everything is totally safe,” said Marrow.  “It’s been a really difficult day.”

 

Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi promised a thorough investigation of the incident.  Zip lines are a growing industry in Hawaii that attracts both local and tourists alike.

 

“I want to express our concern and condolences to the families of both men involved in this tragedy,” Kenoi said in a written statement.

 

“We will conduct a careful, thorough review to determine all of the facts in this case.  We need to know exactly what happened and why, and we need to know exactly what went wrong.  When we have completed that review and the facts are known, we will release our findings publicly.”

 

Medeiros said the investigation would logically focus on what caused the wooden tower to collapse.  He said the police department would be consulting an expert or experts with knowledge of sudden structural failures.

http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/One-dead-one-injured-after-B...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse

Author: Andrew Commons, Corporate Communications, BBC

Published: 21st September 2011 22:56

Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse

St Mary's Street, BedfordBedford Borough Council has announced the temporary closure of a major town centre route after a survey revealed that St Mary's Street was in danger of collapse. Although the road surface between Duckmill Lane and the junction with Cauldwell St appears in reasonable condition, the surface conceals problems in the roads foundations caused by inadequate drainage.

The conditions mean that it will need to be completely rebuilt and resurfaced in a scheme which will take 8 weeks to complete, starting on 3 October.

Given the extent of work required, St Mary's St and the Town Bridge will be closed northbound (heading towards St Paul's Square and the town centre) throughout this period. Southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane.

Councillor Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for the Environment and Transport, said: "When the former County Council last repaired the road they did not tackle existing drainage problems and simply improved the road surface. As a result the ongoing drainage problems have weakened the structure of the road causing severe surface problems and leaving an unacceptable risk that the road will actually collapse.

"This is a safety issue requiring urgent work now to avoid the possibility of a more serious carriageway failure in the future. Because this is one of our major town centre roads leading to Bedford's historic town bridge we have to get these repairs done and we will do them properly.

"Nobody wants to have to cause this disruption but these works are vital, requiring major reconstruction and the installation of new drains.

"When we are carrying out road repairs we always try to minimise disruption to users by working outside of peak hours, such as overnight. This is not possible with this scheme as the amount of work required means it must be carried out during the day. Similarly, the depth of excavations required to rebuild the road means we cannot open the road outside of the working hours.

"I urge drivers to avoid the area if at all possible. If anyone has to drive into the town centre they should follow the signed diversion routes which we are putting in place to reduce disruption.

"We are sorry for the inconvience this will cause but I would like to reassure local residents this work is absolutely vital and will prevent more serious work being needed in the near future and provide a better long term surface."

The working hours at the site will be 7am - 7pm Monday to Friday. However, the traffic restrictions will remain in place 24 hours a day as the reconstruction of the road will prevent vehicles from using the road outside of these hours.

In order to ensure the new road will last as long as possible, a new drainage system will also be installed on the eastern side of the carriageway in addition to a new footpath. Further minor works are scheduled for the western pathway but these will take place after the Christmas period.

Full diversion routes will be signposted around the town centre and on major routes around the borough. Drivers who need to travel into the to

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Comment by astrogal50 18 minutes ago

What?!  Now the scaffolding collapse on September 20, 2011, is reported as a building collapse.

See how the cover up works?  People searching "building collapse" may not find this one as it was called a "scaffolding, facade" collapse.  Who would ever think to search for "facade" collapse?  Not even a knowledgeable ning member would do that.

Harlem Building Collapses Onto City Bus At 125th Street

Part of a two-story building in Harlem on 125th Street and 8th Avenue has collapsed onto a city bus, Gothamist reports.....

Two police officers may have been injured in the collapse.

The building was slated for demolition and it's unclear whether or not preparations had been made.  [Likely disinfo.]

The FDNY said the call came in at 9:26 a.m.  http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/washington-heights-inwood-harlem/loc...

[astrogal50]

What?!  Now the scaffolding collapse on September 20, 2011, is reported as a building collapse.

See how the cover up works?  People searching "building collapse" may not find this one as it was called a "scaffolding, facade" collapse.  Who would ever think to search for "facade" collapse?  Not even a knowledgeable ning member would do that.

Harlem Building Collapses Onto City Bus At 125th Street

Part of a two-story building in Harlem on 125th Street and 8th Avenue has collapsed onto a city bus, Gothamist reports.....

Two police officers may have been injured in the collapse.

The building was slated for demolition and it's unclear whether or not preparations had been made.  [Likely disinfo.]

The FDNY said the call came in at 9:26 a.m.  http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/washington-heights-inwood-harlem/loc...