A house in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City collapsed on May 8 caused by the on-going construction of an adjoining 34-floor building.
An artist's impression of the 34-floor building at 9-11 Ton Duc Thang in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (File)
While the construction in the basement of the new building was being done, the basement walls broke causing the adjoining house to collapse.
The house on 28/1A Ngo Van Nam Street in Ben Nghe Ward collapsed at 3:40 pm yesterday within minutes after its wall cracked and filled with mud.
Soon after the house collapsed, the Peoples’ Committee of Ben Nghe Ward ordered the Construction Inspection Agency of the ward to evacuate the area and notify people living in the neighborhood to stay clear of the construction site.
The inspection agency drew a report of negligent administrative violation and suspended the construction of the new building.
According to the report presented by the Construction Inspection Agency of the district on May 9, the new building at 9-11 Ton Duc Thang Street was planned as a 34-storey building with two basements.
The HCMC Construction Department had issued a license for construction on October 5, 2010.
Mai Thanh Service Company Ltd. was the chief investor while Cotec Construction Joint Stock Company executed the construction work.
On May 9, the Peoples’ Committee of district 1 ordered the project investor and contractor to check the basement walls and report their findings to the construction department to assess the damages caused.
The two companies were also ordered to check the state of the collapsed house and find ways to prop up the house to prevent it from affecting the neighboring houses.
About seven restaurants in the nearby vicinity relocated their premises on May 9.
Authorities of the Peoples’ Committee of Ben Nghe Ward said they would hold a meeting with the project investor, the owner of the collapsed house and neighboring households to discuss the possibility of a temporary relocation.
