Residents in a 33-story Shanghai apartment building are fearing for their safety after a ground-floor owner illegally excavated floors and removed walls during renovation works.
According to a report by Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, homeowners at Sun Wonderland in Huangpu District were alarmed to discover the owner of a ground-floor unit had dug down about 50 centimeters and demolished walls.
One resident, surnamed Hu, said the excavation work was discovered on October 12, with the floor level being lowered significantly and the building's exterior wall damaged.
Property management ordered the renovation to stop after receiving complaints from other residents.
The involved unit covers about 150 square meters in the building that houses hundreds of residents across its 33 floors. Neighbors worry the structural changes could compromise the building's safety.
The renovation has been halted since last Tuesday, according to the report.
Local urban management authorities confirmed the owner had excavated the floor to a depth of 50 centimeters at its deepest point. They said further assessment by professional third-party inspectors is needed to determine whether the structural work affected the building's load-bearing capacity.
