A woman in central China has astonished social media users by constructing a door in the external wall of a residential building and installing stairs to connect to the adjacent block as an emergency exit in the event of a fire.
The modifications made by the resident surnamed Wang, who lives in Changde, Hunan province, came to light after a local internet user reported her to a government website, according to the Changde Daily.
Wang’s home is situated on the 28th floor of a building that has a total of 32 storeys. Several months ago, she hired workers to break through the external wall of her unit to install an iron door.
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On the other side of the door, they constructed several steps leading to the roof of the neighbouring building. The stairs reportedly lack a handrail, according to pictures that have circulated widely online.
Wang stated that she built the door and stairs out of safety concerns.
She explained that she planned to use the newly installed door and stairs to escape to the neighbouring building in the event of a fire in her own.
In early November, the municipal urban management administration acted on the tip-off by ordering Wang to restore the original structure.
An investigation by the authorities revealed that her alterations had compromised both the integrity and load-bearing capacity of her residential building.
Officials educated Wang on relevant laws and instructed her to return the building to its original condition within a set time frame. She was also advised to employ a certified construction team for the restoration.
It has not been disclosed whether Wang has faced any fines.
“Load-bearing walls are essential for safety. Any modifications to a building can increase the risk of harm,” remarked an editorial in the Emergency Management News, a publication affiliated with the Ministry of Emergency Management, regarding the Changde case.
The incident has sparked significant online debate.
“She should be jailed. Merely telling her to restore the building to its original state is far too lenient,” commented one netizen.
Another added: “I wonder where the property management company was during this. They should have noticed when the workers were cutting into the wall.”
In May, a house in Guangxi, southwestern China, collapsed, resulting in the deaths of two people. The local government attributed the accident to the illegal actions of a tenant who dismantled a load-bearing wall.
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