TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Dominican International School in Taipei suspended classes on Friday (Sept. 8) after cracks appeared on its running tracks and surrounding walls following last night's construction site collapse.
Emergency evacuation orders were issued late Thursday evening as six residential buildings on "Lane 94, Dazhi Street, Zhongshan District," began to tilt.
The expansion of the collapsed area led to visible cracks in the school. After consultation with the Taipei City Government's Department of Education, classes were suspended for the day as a safety measure.
As of Friday morning, data reveal around 197 households, comprising 367 people, have been evacuated, with 320 of them accommodated in hotels.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an pinpointed the cause of the residential instability on inadequate construction practices. He explained that the neighboring houses began to sink due to developers' excavation of three underground levels at the construction site without timely reinforcements, causing slurry walls to fracture under pressure.
Taking responsibility for the damage inflicted upon the neighboring houses due to construction errors, Kee Tai Properties Co. Ltd., the developer, has halted all construction at the site.
The company is also implementing necessary mitigation measures, including arranging accommodation for the affected households.
