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]

Factory building collapse kills 2 in N China

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-12/21/content_14300179.htm

Updated: 2011-12-21 13:30

TAIYUAN - A cement factory building under construction collapsed Tuesday night in the northern province of Shanxi, leaving two dead and five others injured, local authorities said Wednesday.

The accident occurred at about 8:30 pm in the Xingyuan Cement Plant in Xiangfen county sources with the fire brigade in Linfen city, which administers the county, said.

When the building collapsed, seven construction workers were atop the building. They fell and were trapped under a mass of iron bars, scaffolds and wood boards.

By 3:30 am, rescuers had pulled out five workers from the debris, and they were sent to a nearby hospital.

About three hours later, rescuers retrieved another two workers, who were pronounced dead at the scene, rescuers said.

An investigation into the accident is under way.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2011/12/21/abandoned-building-collap...

ERIC SHELTON | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT Assistant City Engineer David Atkins, right, and Public Works Supervisor Robbie Dollar review the scene of a collapsed building on the corner of Homochitto Street and Duncan Avenue after an abandoned building collapsed Tuesday afternoon.

Abandoned building collapses

NATCHEZ — It had stood through years of storms, stress and neglect, but Tuesday afternoon the abandoned building at the corner of Homochitto Street and Duncan Avenue could stand no more.

Bystanders said the building began to emit a creaking noise before suddenly collapsing and falling into the street. The collapse happened during the 3 p.m. hour.

Natchez Public Works Director Robbie Dollar said the priority Tuesday was clearing the piles of busted bricks and moldering wood out of the roadway.

“We are just trying to open the streets and keep everything safe,” he said.

The building has been derelict for some time, and already appeared structurally unsound at the time of the collapse. For several years the structure has had a large hole in one of its walls.

Who was ultimately responsible for the building’s upkeep is a mystery at the moment, Dollar said.

“At this point, we do not know who owns it,” he said.

“It has been abandoned for many years.”

Finding out that information is going to be a priority, however.

“Tomorrow, we will find out who owns it,” Dollar said.

Alderman Dan Dillard said the city planning department has gone through a process of determining unsafe buildings, and he thought the building was on the list.

City Planner Bob Nix could not be reached for comment.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

1 dies in Tezpur porch collapse

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111225/jsp/frontpage/story_14925290.jsp

Tezpur, Dec. 24: A labourer from Boko in Kamrup district was killed and 14 were injured after the porch of an under-construction hotel building collapsed on Saturday evening near this town in Assam’s Sonitpur district.

Sonitpur deputy commissioner Tapan Chandra Sarma said one person had died in the the collapse, that occurred around 6pm. The hotel is 1.5km from Mission Chariali, which is 6km from this town.

“There were around 20 labourers, of whom one has died and 14 have been hospitalised. We have completed rescue operations, which were supported by army and police personnel. Police have started investigations,” Sarmah told The Telegraph.

Sonitpur superintendent of police A.P. Tewari said a probe had begun but preliminary investigations suggested that there was a mismatch between the support and load of the 20-foot by 30-foot porch that collapsed.

“Rescue operations were completed within half-an-hour. Five of the injured have been hospitalised but everybody is out of danger. We have registered a complaint but there is hardly anybody to talk to at the site. They seemed to have left the scene after the porch collapsed,” he added.

“Rescuers are using heavy equipment to sift through a pile of debris in search of anyone else who might have been trapped. The deceased labourer has been identified as Ayub Khan from Boko,” DSP (headquarters) Abdul Kadir Arif said.

Abdul Kalam, one of the injured labourers, who is undergoing treatment at Kanaklata civil hospital, said the porch collapsed because of the inferior quality of material used to build the hotel.

Anup Bhatta, superintendent of the hospital, said nine labourers had been released after being giving first aid while six had been admitted to the hospital. The condition of the six was stable, he added.

Sources said Himatsingka Pvt Ltd was constructing the the three-star hotel at the site for the past few years. “Last year, a fire broke out at the same hotel in which one labourer died and a few others were injured,” one of the sources said.

Three Mrityunjoy 108 ambulances from Tezpur town, Pachmile and Chariduar were rushed to the spot and several injured persons were taken to Kanaklata civil hospital at Tezpur, nearly 7km from the spot.

Three other army ambulances have also been pressed into service. The residents of the area also took some injured persons to hospital in private ambulances.

“Two JCBs were pressed into service by the Sonitpur district administration and army personnel and local people are also rescuing the people trapped under the debris,” the operations executive of Mrityunjoy 108 ambulance services in Sonitpur district, Ananta Saharia, told this correspondent from the spot.

No one from the Himatsingka Group could be contacted. Consultant engineer J.I. Khataniar said there were three factors that needed to be looked into an RCC building collapse — structural design and analysis, quality compliance of materials and workmanship.

“Public buildings have to be constructed under the provisions of the National Building Code of India,” he said. The NBC, a comprehensive building code, is a national instrument providing guidelines for regulating the building construction activities across the country.

The main idea behind the NBC is inclusion of a complete philosophy and direction for successfully accomplishing t

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://carrollgardens.patch.com/articles/photos-partial-building-co...

PHOTOS: Partial Building Collapse in Red Hook

Department of Environmental Protection sewer project undermines building, causes collapse

View of the collapse from Columbia St. and Degraw St. Credit Peter Saalfield

Photos

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8393853/man-trapped-beneath-two...

Man trapped under two collapsed walls

A construction worker is in a serious condition in Melbourne after two brick walls collapsed on top of him at a building site.

It is believed a 3m-high brick wall fell on the 42-year-old and then knocked into another wall, causing it to collapse as well.

The man was crushed beneath their combined weight.

Paramedics arrived in Caulfield North to find the man being helped by his workmates.

"Between us and his colleagues, it took 30 minutes to remove the bricks and free the man," said intensive care paramedic Rowan Harman.

"The 42-year-old suffered a fractured pelvis, fractured right leg, fractured ribs, a suspected collapsed lung and broken fingers."

He was taken to The Alfred Hospital in a serious condition.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/g...

Girl student dies in classroom collapse

• December 24, 2011

A 11-year-old girl student died of head injuries on Friday in Macherla town of Guntur district when sidewall of the school classroom collapsed on her as she was sitting in the classroom with another 60 students.

A 11-year-old girl student died of head injuries on Friday in Macherla town of Guntur district when sidewall of the school classroom collapsed on her as she was sitting in the classroom with another 60 students.

According to Macharla circle-inspector, Mr Mural-ikrishna, T. Priyanka, 11, daughter of T. Venka-teswara Reddy and Seet-amma was studying sixth class in the Vikas English Medium School located in the Little Flower School premises near the railway station road in Macharla.

The girl hails from Kotturu village of Macharla mandal and has been staying in the Little Flower hostel and studying in Vikas English Medium School. Both schools are covered with asbestos.

Two other students Konda Lingaraju and Mutyala Kameswari were slightly injured in the mishap. The parents and local residents alleged that negligence of the school management was responsible for the death of the girl. Though the education department denied permission to the Vikas English Medium School, it was being run with the support of Little Flower School.

Priyanaka is the only daughter of the couple. The girl along with other children attended a programme conducted by NGO in the classroom and died within minutes. The government hospital doctors declared she was brought dead.

The deputy district educational officer Ms Vijaya-lakshmi Bai inspected the school and ordered for cancellation of registration. She also recommended that criminal case be booked on the school management for gross negligence. The police said the school management erased the blood stains to hush up the clues and left after locking it.

Media persons were also denied entry into the school. MLA Mr P Ramakrishna Reddy consoled the parents of the girl.

The local residents said it is the second time that an accident occurred in the Little Flower School questioned why the education department is giving recognition and permission to run classes with poor construction and facilities.

Mandal education officer Mr Kamalakar Rao said they came to knew about the existence of the school only on Friday after the mishap occurred.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45762425/ns/local_news-santa_maria_ca/t...

Bluff erosion forces road closure

Unstable bluffs along Ocean Boulevard in Shell Beach have forced city officials to close a section of the ocean-front road.

Officials blocked Ocean Boulevard between Capistrano and Wawona avenues to vehicles last week after a geotechinal engineer determined the area wasn’t stable and posed an “immediate threat” to public safety.

“Additional weight (on that area) could cause it to collapse at any time,” said Pismo Beach City Manager Kevin Rice. “We are doing the prudent thing, fencing it off at this point.”

The curb and gutter along the closed-off section of Ocean Boulevard crumbled into the ocean a few weeks ago, and wooden fencing that separated the street from the bluff’s edge is ready to collapse. Additionally, a crib wall below the street on the bluff face is completely exposed, Rice said.

“We aren’t sure what’s holding it up,” Rice said. “The erosion is getting really severe.”

Pedestrians and cyclists can still access the portion of Ocean Boulevard that is closed, although the city is warning people to use extreme caution and stay away from the bluff’s edge.

It’s expected the one-block section of Ocean Boulevard will remain closed to vehicles for at least three months, possibly longer, and cost more than $1 million to fix.

“It’s not going to be cheap to repair,” Rice said.

The city has issued emergency coastal-development permits to begin bluff stabilization projects in Shell Beach, including work to repair unstable areas at the northern end of Ocean Boulevard near the Vista del Mar sewer lift station.

An emergency permit also has  been issued to stabilize the bluffs between Capistrano and Wawona avenues. 

The Coastal Commission sent a letter to the city late Tuesday questioning whether Pismo Beach has the jurisdiction to undertake the proposed stabilization projects — construction of seawalls at both sites.

Because Pismo Beach has an approved local coastal plan, the city doesn’t believe it needs approval from the Coastal Commission to undertake the emergency bluff stabilization projects, city officials said.

“I am well within my rights to issue these permits and the city has the jurisdiction,” Community Development Director Jon Biggs told the council Tuesday. “It was the time to issue these emergency permits to protect those resources.”

City attorney David Fleishman also said the city does have the jurisdiction and authority to issue the permits and proceed with work once a final design for the projects is completed and approved by Pismo officials.

Biggs said erosion at both sites on Ocean Boulevard has led to the roadway becoming dangerously close to the bluff’s edge, and that more loss of the bluff could cause the lift station to fail or the road to collapse, which likely would cause water and sewer lines to break.

“It’s a potential catastrophe for the citizens and even the environment,” Biggs said.

City Engineer Dwayne Chisam said if water and sewer lines under Ocean Boulevard were to break because the road collapses, at least 500 to 600 homes would be affected, as well as about 1,000-plus people.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-12/24/content_14319894.htm

Building collapse blocks traffic near 3rd Ring Road

While being demolished on Friday, part of a building collapsed near the East Third Ring Road in Beijing and the site of the new CCTV building. Provided to China Daily

BEIJING - While being demolished, a three-story building partly collapsed onto a road near this city's East Third Ring Road on Friday.

The accident caused no injuries but damaged four vehicles that were passing by.

The building stands near the new China Central Television (CCTV) building in Beijing's Central Business District.

It collapsed onto Chaoyang Road at about 11:10 am, Wang Yu, a Chaoyang District police officer, said on Friday afternoon.

"We received a phone call saying a building had collapsed in the Chaoyang district," Wang said. "We immediately dispatched more than 20 policemen to keep order there."

The building was being demolished by a company named Hua'ao House Demolition Ltd, which could not be reached for comment by press time. The reason for the accident is still unknown.

Wang Yanlong, a 50-year-old newspaper seller who witnessed the accident, said four vehicles were damaged by the collapsing building - one seriously and the other three less so.

"I heard a loud noise at about 11:10 am," Wang said. "I rushed out of my stand and saw a collapsed building was blocking the main road."

Steel and iron bars from the building pierced the trunk of a passing car, destroying it. The driver, a middle-aged man, got out immediately, Wang said.

"The driver talked with me for a while afterward, and I could see that he was really frightened," Wang said. "The driver said he was trying to turn left when he saw the building was collapsing but couldn't keep his car from being hit."

Wang said the accident blocked the eastbound lanes of Chaoyang Road and brought traffic to a standstill for about half an hour.

Yao Yong, a musician who said the collapse had destroyed his vehicle, uploaded a photo of the accident site onto his Sina micro blog on Friday. The picture showed that the roof of his SUV had been pierced by a steel bar directly above its back seat.

"If I hadn't turned the steering wheel hard right after I saw that the wall was collapsing, the steel bar would have jabbed me in the head after it went through the SUV's roof," Yao said on his micro blog.

By about 6 pm on Friday, Chaoyang Road had been cleared and the flow of traffic had been partly restored. A side road, though, was still blocked by debris.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/135826658.html

House collapses in Waianae; 15 people homeless

POSTED: 09:22 a.m. HST, Dec 18, 2011

The American Red Cross is assisting 13 people after their home collapsed off its foundation overnight.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gary Lum said the home was built on wooden posts about three feet off the ground. Firefighters at the scene said termite damage may have contributed to the collapse of the posts.

The Red Cross said high winds may have blown the home off the posts.

No serious injuries were reported after the 1:30 a.m. collapse of the house at 86-424 Puhawai Road in Waianae.

The Red Cross is helping the displaced families find temporary shelter, Lum said.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Residents moved after another section of Derry wall collapses

A 30ft section of the wall in Marlborough Terrace collapsed earlier this week

A wall near homes, which partially collapsed in Londonderry earlier this week, has given way again.

On Wednesday, a 30ft section of the wall in Marlborough Terrace collapsed causing a landslide which crushed cars.

Gerry Wilson, a resident at Marlborough Terrace, said a larger section had collapsed on Saturday afternoon.

He said people in seven houses had been told to leave their homes.This is due to a possible further collapse.

Mr Wilson also said a garage had been damaged as a result of the incident.

Police had diverted traffic away from the area on Saturday afternoon.

It is understood officials from the Department of Environment were tasked to attend.

In a separate incident on Thursday, 50ft of a wall in Harding Street, near Abercorn Road in the city, collapsed.

Derry City Council said they visited Harding Street to inspect the collapse of a retaining wall, and made the area secure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16233330