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Taipei City to inspect all construction sites
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-An is vowing to inspect all construction sites in the city.
Chiang says that checks will be conducted immediately at 184 construction sites across the city, with Kee Tai Construction and contractor Fu Yi Construction to come under close scrutiny.
The statement comes after a row of buildings partially collapsed in the Dazhi area, due to construction errors at an adjacent Kee Tai site, with more than 440 people evacuated. The Taipei Mayor says he is also instructing the Department of Urban Development to review rules and regulations concerning damage to neighbouring properties, with plans for improvements to be proposed and made public at a later date.
Kee Tai Properties and the Taipei City government have reached an initial agreement to help people affected by the partial collapse of a building in the city's Dazhi neighborhood.
A total of 442 people from 201 households were evacuated pending safety inspections. That figure includes 25 people who will need to be temporarily rehoused after their homes suffered severe structural damage.
Kee Tai Properties CEO Feng Hsien-mien had faced criticism for his failure to make any public statement since the incident occurred last Thursday.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Si-chuan says consensus on three issues related to Kee Tai's response to the damage has been reached. Kee Tai has agreed to create a NT$100 million fund for the purposes of disaster relief and to cover the costs of building restoration and temporarily resettling displaced residents. The company has also promised to "fully cooperate" in the reconstruction of the damaged buildings, regardless of whether the work is carried out by Kee Tai or Taipei's Urban Regeneration Office.
Meanwhile on the Taiex Kee Tai Properties’ share price tumbled in early trading this morning, and Kee Tai Chairman Chen Shih-ming announced his resignation yesterday, with "deepest apologies" to affected residents and the public.
