Building collapse in Shanghai: At least 5 casualties

At least 5 people were reported dead after a commercial building collapsed in Shanghai on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

According to city government, the roof of the construction gave way during renovations works. 

The incident occurred at 03:30 GMT in a central region of Shanghai. About 20 people were trapped. Fire department rushed at the scene and managed to rescue most of them but at least 5 people were killed. The survivors suffered injuries but no extra information about their current situation was revealed.

The structure was about 3,000 m². Evidence showed that about half of the building's roof collapsed. Media reported that the building was once used as a dealership for Mercedes-Benz cars and it was reconstructed to be used a multi-used arts and innovation site. 

A woman mentioned that the collapse was followed by an intense shaking. "I thought it was an explosion at first," she stated.

Structural failures in China are not uncommon. Rapid urban development has led in construction flaws and neglect of safety regulations. The phenomenon is investigated in order to avoid similar incidents in the future but despite governmental attempts to increase safety measures, disasters have not deteriorated.

Back in 2010, a 28-story building under repair was ravaged by a fire resulting in 22 fatalities while in late 2018, 22 people died after an explosion in a chemical factory in the city of Zhangjiakou.