A striking moment:
Ye, a daily paid worker on the construction site, recalled what happened at the moment. “A BANG was heard shortly after some one crying ‘run! The steel bars are falling!”’, he described, “and soon the tunnel started to collapse from the south to north.”
This collapse he recalled has dominated the Internet as a heated topic in these a few days, referred to as the most serious accident of subway construction ever in China.
Hangzhou, a well-known tourism city in southern China, witnessed the accident. On 15, Nov, a 100-meters-long–50m-wide section of the subway tunnel under construction collapsed. Instantly, at least 20 workers were buried. Because the tunnel is right under an 8-lane-wide, riverside road in use, over 10 vehicles were trapped in as the roadway cracked open in a sudden. To make it worse, the river water mixed with silt poured in, which cut off many people’s way out.
A 41-year-old worker recalled that a crane above was trying to lift people out of the crater, but since too many flooded to around, people who couldn’t grip the crane fall down. He heard people crying for help, but he could do nothing. He also saw supporting rods hitting on his co-workers.
Though over 40 people managed to run out, more than 20 were missing on the day. Later, a huge rescue effort started.
On a local online bulletin board, 19lou, a netizen reported her witness shortly after the accident:
亲眼目ç¹~æ州风情大é“地é“施工塌方,我家车车离它就20å‡ ç±³è·¯å•Šï¼ŒåŽæ€•~
Among replies calling her a lucky dog, some one said:
LZ,ä½ è·Ÿæˆ‘è¡¨å“¥ä¸€æ ·,我表哥那时候也在那ç‰çº¢ç¯æ‰é€ƒè¿‡ä¸€åŠ«
The scores of injured workers were sent to hospitals. Many of them felt hard to recall the striking moment.
“In seconds, water, soil and steel rods were all falling down”, Zhang, a worker running out of the site said. His colleague Ji-Shuiping complained, “I will never do this job (subway construction) in my life again—even if I were to be a beggar.”
On 22, the 11th body was found. Given hose stilled buried with slim chance to survive, the death toll is estimated to be 21.
An inquiry into responsibility— more tragedies on the way?
Not only city leaders, but also state officials were vowing a complete investigation. Meanwhile, the heads of the subway project contractor, China Metro Civil Engineering Group Co. Ltd (CTCEG), also flied to Hangzhou to discuss details on the cause of the accident and compensation for victims. The CTCEG is a state-run group.
On 16th, the group’s CPC vice secretary apologized to public at a press conference for the disaster.
However, more than one sign of the tragedy have been detected long before the accident happened. In other words, the tragedy is not inevitable. The Southern Metropolis Daily reported:
湘湖地é“站附近东湖社区居民å‘记者è¯å®žï¼Œæ—©åœ¨å¤§åŠä¸ªæœˆå‰ï¼Œé£Žæƒ…大é“å·²ç»å‡ºçŽ°è£‚ç¼ã€‚æ¥è‡ªå®‰å¾½çš„å™å…¨ä¼—å‘记者介ç»ï¼Œä»–åªæ¥äº†18天,已ç»çœ¼è§è¿‡ä¸¤æ¬¡è£‚ç¼ã€‚å‘现éšæ‚£åŽï¼Œæ–½å·¥æ–¹ç”¨æ°´æ³¥åŠ 固ã€é’¢ç‹åŠ 固æ¥å¼¥è¡¥è¿™äº›è£‚ç¼å¸¦æ¥çš„地é¢ä¸‹æ²‰ç ´ç¢Žï¼Œä½†åœ°é“施工å´æ²¡æœ‰åœä¸‹ï¼Œæƒ¨å‰§ç»ˆäºŽå‘生。
Why no one suspended the project?
A news piece reported that the frontline supervisor has actually reported to his superior, and, been waiting for further instruction al the time. No response, nevertheless. But three related officials firmly refused the saying, pointing out that such a critical problem should be fixed immediately even without a superior instruction.
But blogger Mou-Zongyong nosed out problems:
ä½ çœ‹ï¼š
施工å•ä½è¯´——å‘现éšæ‚£éœ€è¦å…ˆå‘领导汇报。
三ä½é¢†å¯¼è¯´——工程éšæ‚£éœ€åŠæ—¶é‡‡å–措施,ä¸éœ€ç‰å¾…审批。
注æ„,这是矛盾的ï¼åˆ°åº•è°è¯´çš„是事实?
The construction unit said: we should first report to officials and wait for approval.
The three officials said: no approval is needed to fix the problems.
Attention: these sayings are in conflict! Who have told the truth?
He further pointed that carrying on the project without suspension is the “wise” decision for the construction unit.
但人命并éžå…ˆéªŒã€‚如果施工å•ä½å‘现éšæ‚£é‡‡å–措施,结果影å“了工期ã€å¢žåŠ 了开支,å¯æœ€åŽæ²¡å‡ºäº‹æ•…——那领导们是ä¸æ˜¯è¿˜ä¼šè¯´ï¼šæ²¡é—®é¢˜ï¼Œä½ æœ‰è¿™æ ·çš„æƒåˆ©ï¼Ÿ
So, the essential guide for action is not fact or actual situation, but, as he concludes:
在我们的利益体系专长官æ„å¿—”越超了一切
Another columnist, Bi-shicheng, calling for more expertise on leadership, has the similar view:
施工å•ä½æˆ–许也有苦衷:如果é¢å¯¹çš„ä¸æ˜¯ç®€å•æ˜Žäº†çš„“å°éšæ‚£”ï¼Œè€Œæ˜¯åŽŸå› å¤æ‚矛盾尖é”但情况ä¸ç”šæ˜Žæœ—,需è¦è¿›ä¸€æ¥æŽ¢æ˜Žç”š 至åœå·¥æ•´é¡¿çš„,那么,他们敢作出多少决æ–?如果进一æ¥æŽ¢æ˜Žçš„是“å°é—®é¢˜”,兴师动众的“大åœå·¥”若耽误整体规划布局,施工负责人是å¦èƒ½æ‹…当得起政府部门的 “问责”? 就判æ–施工éšæ‚£æ¥è®²ï¼Œæ–½å·¥æ–¹æ˜¾ç„¶æ¯”“上级领导”更为直接,也更为专业。那这群“更为专业的人”为什么åªèƒ½åç‰ä¸ç”šä¸“业的“上级领导批示”æ¥å®‰æŽ’下一æ¥å·¥ä½œ 呢?
The construction unit has its reason: how much of decision dare they make facing so complex, uncertain problem which requires much further investigation, or, even suspension of the whole project? If it boiled down to be a slight problem, is the frontline head able to afford the criticism of any higher official? The suspension overall, might slack the entire plan! Though the constructers are of much more expertise than their higher officials, why dare they not take actions instead of sitting there to wait for orders as they have done in this case?
More scandals were gradually exposed once the accident attracted a nation-wide attention. Under the major contractor, the China Metro Group, there were over 20 subordinate groups, which joined the project by bidding procedure. China Youth Daily reported in APRIL that as early as when Hangzhou revealed the result of the bidding, rumor has had that the certain sub-contractors plotted to get the project by illegal methods.
In an official announcement, a vice manager of China Metro Group told three reasons of the accident:
一是土质,这段是淤泥质é»åœŸï¼›äºŒæ˜¯å塌段路é¢æ˜¯ä¸»å¹²é“,车æµé‡å¤§ï¼›ä¸‰æ˜¯è¿‘期æŒç»æ€§é™é›¨ã€‚
Therefore, the soft soil, unlikely to support the tunnel wall, seems to be the wrongdoer to blame.
Opinion writer Hong Yang said:
一言以蔽之:怨天怨地怨人ï¼
One sentence to conclude the official statement: what to blame: the weather, the ground, and the people driving along the road!
Is it really so simple?
Blogger Living-in-Circle replied: absolutely not!
2007年冬天,我去æ州文三路陪朋å‹çœ‹ç¬”记本电脑,回æ¥æ—¶æ‰“的。在出租车上,我é‡åˆ°ä¸€ä¸ªæ¯”较å¥è°ˆçš„å¸æœºã€‚è¿™ä½å¸æœºè¯æ°”沉 ç—›ä½†æ— æ¯”åšå®šçš„告诉我,在建的æ州地é“工程尽早会出事。æ®ä»–称,浙江çœå†…一个从事化å¦å“生产的知åä¼ä¸šï¼Œç«Ÿç„¶ä¸æ ‡åœ°é“å»ºé€ ï¼Œè¿™æ˜¯å分å¯ç¬‘çš„äº‹æƒ…ã€‚å› ä¸ºï¼Œè¿™ 家ä¼ä¸šåœ¨ä¸æ ‡åŽï¼Œå› ä¸ºè‡ªæ²¡æœ‰æ²¡èµ„è´¨ï¼Œè‚¯å®šä¼šå°†å·¥ç¨‹è½¬åŒ…ï¼Œæ— ç–‘ä¼šå¸¦æ¥ç›‘ç£çš„缺失。
当时,我åªæ˜¯å¬å¬ç½¢äº†ï¼Œæƒ³æƒ³å¯èƒ½æ˜¯è¿™ä½å¸æœºçš„牢骚。没想到,真的出事了。我沉默åŠå¤©åŽï¼Œç«‹å³æƒ³åˆ°äº†é‚£ä¸ªå‡ºç§Ÿè½¦å¸å‚…。原æ¥ï¼Œç¾¤ä¼—的眼ç›å§‹ç»ˆæ˜¯é›ªäº®çš„。å¯èƒ½ï¼Œ å·²ç»æœ‰å¾ˆå¤šäººéƒ½çŸ¥é“地é“å»ºé€ å˜åœ¨éšæ‚£ï¼Œåªæ˜¯ï¼Œé‚£äº›æ™®é€šæ°‘众们,没有一个å‘表æ„è§çš„æ¸ é“。如果普通民众能å‚与监ç£ï¼Œé‚£ä¹ˆï¼Œæˆ‘想,æ州地é“ä¸ä¼šå‡ºäº‹ï¼Œç»å¯¹ä¸ 会。
I just took it as a street talk then. But now, unexpectedly, I know something really happened. After a long silence, I was reminded of the driver. I realize we people’s eyes are always sharp. Perhaps, a lot of us have already known the potential danger, but have no vent to have our voices out. If we common people can have a say in the supervision of the project, I think, the Hangzhou subway would have never, never gone into such a disaster.