2012-08-13 07:26 By Shi Yingying in Shanghai (China Daily)
Accident on tourist-filled shopping street thought linked to heavy rainfall
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PJzXAV-jNqQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Two people were killed and another one injured when an arch collapsed at a major
tourism attraction of Qinghefang in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sunday morning.
The accident happened around 9:30 am, shortly after the traditional commercial street
Qinghefang opened to the weekend tourists.
Lu Jin'e, a 58-year-old woman from Hubei province, died at the scene, and 62-year-old
Jiang Guiying, a tourist from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, died after being
rushed to a hospital.
Qin Yang, 65, Lu's husband, broke both his legs and spent four hours in surgery at
Hangzhou No 1 People's Hospital.
A doctor surnamed Yao said Qin was in a critical condition when he arrived at the hospital
but his condition had been upgraded to stable after the surgery.
Qin's son, who wished not to be named, told China Daily that his father is likely to
undergo more surgery. He said the government should explain to him how the tragedy
could occur.
Qinghefang Street, in the center of Hangzhou and close to the West Lake, was built in
the style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) when Hangzhou was the capital of the dynasty.
However, the arch was not a historical building.
Local government said the arch was built in October 2001. Its base was made of
reinforced concrete and it had a wood structure on top.
Local authorities said initial investigations indicated the collapse was caused by a fracture
in the reinforced concrete and wood connections.
Further investigation is under way, a spokesman for the Shangcheng district government,
which administers the street, said at a news conference on Sunday.
Some residents suggested the collapse could be linked to the recent heavy rainfalls
brought by typhoon Haikui, which recently tore through the city.
"The timber structure itself is safe in terms of wind and earthquake resistance, however,
its ability to prevent decay is poor, that's why blocks of stone are usually used as seats
to stop direct contact between soil and wood," said Zhou Gang, an architecture professor
at Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology.
"The traditional handicraft to bond stone and wood (for this kind of arch) needs to be
exquisite because unlike structures built by bricks or concrete, arches can't resist high
winds, not to mention typhoons," said Zhou, who specialized in civil engineering and
housing safety issues.
Typhoon Haikui caused widespread flooding and disrupted traffic when it moved through
Hangzhou last week.
Accident on tourist-filled shopping street thought linked to heavy rainfall
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PJzXAV-jNqQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Two people were killed and another one injured when an arch collapsed at a major
tourism attraction of Qinghefang in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sunday morning.
The accident happened around 9:30 am, shortly after the traditional commercial street
Qinghefang opened to the weekend tourists.
Lu Jin'e, a 58-year-old woman from Hubei province, died at the scene, and 62-year-old
Jiang Guiying, a tourist from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, died after being
rushed to a hospital.
Qin Yang, 65, Lu's husband, broke both his legs and spent four hours in surgery at
Hangzhou No 1 People's Hospital.
A doctor surnamed Yao said Qin was in a critical condition when he arrived at the hospital
but his condition had been upgraded to stable after the surgery.
Qin's son, who wished not to be named, told China Daily that his father is likely to
undergo more surgery. He said the government should explain to him how the tragedy
could occur.
Qinghefang Street, in the center of Hangzhou and close to the West Lake, was built in
the style of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) when Hangzhou was the capital of the dynasty.
However, the arch was not a historical building.
Local government said the arch was built in October 2001. Its base was made of
reinforced concrete and it had a wood structure on top.
Local authorities said initial investigations indicated the collapse was caused by a fracture
in the reinforced concrete and wood connections.
Further investigation is under way, a spokesman for the Shangcheng district government,
which administers the street, said at a news conference on Sunday.
Some residents suggested the collapse could be linked to the recent heavy rainfalls
brought by typhoon Haikui, which recently tore through the city.
"The timber structure itself is safe in terms of wind and earthquake resistance, however,
its ability to prevent decay is poor, that's why blocks of stone are usually used as seats
to stop direct contact between soil and wood," said Zhou Gang, an architecture professor
at Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology.
"The traditional handicraft to bond stone and wood (for this kind of arch) needs to be
exquisite because unlike structures built by bricks or concrete, arches can't resist high
winds, not to mention typhoons," said Zhou, who specialized in civil engineering and
housing safety issues.
Typhoon Haikui caused widespread flooding and disrupted traffic when it moved through
Hangzhou last week.
