A 73-year-old man named Xia Zhongren living in Room 102, Building 5, Tuoling Alley, Huaihai Road, Yangzhou downtown area, encountered an unfortunate event: at around 5:30 on the 25th, with a "boom", a large piece of cement fell from the ceiling of the old man's bedroom and landed directly on the head of the elder who was still asleep. The elder bled profusely on the spot. After being examined by the hospital, it was determined that the elder's right lacrimal gland vein was severed, his upper lip was "pierced through," and there was bleeding in the brain. Enraged, the elder's family went to the real estate developer to demand an explanation. However, the developer believed that this building had been completed for 10 years, far exceeding the "warranty period," and they bore no responsibility.
Tragedy: The sleeping old man suffered disfigurement
Xia's daughter-in-law, Guo Ping, told reporters that at the time of the incident, the entire family was sound asleep. A deafening "boom" woke her up, and immediately she heard weak calls from her father-in-law’s room: “Xiao Guo, Xiao Guo…” The voice was long-drawn-out and very strained. Without taking the time to put on her coat, Guo Ping rushed into her father-in-law’s room, turned on the light, and screamed out loud. She saw her father-in-law's face covered in blood, groaning continuously in bed. The floor was in disarray, full of cement fragments that had fallen from the roof. Guo Ping quickly dialed “120,” and her father-in-law was soon taken to the SuBei People’s Hospital in Yangzhou. Due to timely rescue, although Xia Zhongren temporarily escaped danger, his right lacrimal gland vein was severed, his upper lip was "pierced through," and there was bleeding in the brain, the situation was quite serious. On that day alone, the medical expenses for the father-in-law in the hospital exceeded 5000 yuan.
When the reporter visited the old man's home, he saw that the old man's room was in disarray, filled with cement fragments that had fallen from the roof, some larger than a washbasin. At least 5 square meters of the roof's cement had almost completely fallen off, and the bloodstains were still visible on the elder's bedside. After the incident, the old man's children went to the real estate developer, Yangzhou Meilin Company, demanding an explanation. They hoped that the real estate company would treat their father-in-law's injuries and remove the broken cement pieces from the roof, redoing the roof.
Outrage: "Sealed" the developer's parking lot
After such a "perilous" situation occurred, the entire building was in an uproar. One homeowner told reporters: "The incident involving Mr. Xia is just a warning bell for everyone, because every household has encountered similar problems, just not as severe. We are all very nervous now, fearing issues with the quality of the house. What if something happens one day?"
Seeing that the real estate company did not agree to their demands, Xia's family brought an iron bed and blocked the road leading to the parking lot set up by the company, preventing vehicles from entering. This action also received support from other residents of the building: "We don't stop pedestrians from passing through, but vehicles cannot pass. We suspect there are quality issues with the house, fearing that large vehicles starting or passing below will affect the building." Yesterday, an employee of the real estate company told reporters that the reason for "blocking the road" was completely unreasonable: "As early as after yesterday's incident, two cars belonging to our company had all eight tire valve cores removed. Even more outrageous was that the homeowners repeatedly locked the company's main gate, preventing people from entering and exiting, while moving bedding into the company hall, declaring that they would sleep there until the matter was resolved."
The reporter learned that after the incident on the 25th, the parking lot was "sealed," and by yesterday, the parking lot was still unable to function normally. Local police officers have already intervened to mediate.
Developer: This building has long passed its warranty period
Yesterday, the reporter interviewed Meilin Real Estate Development Company. Mr. Zhao, who mediated the incident, clearly stated that this building was completed 10 years ago. After passing inspection, when the more than 60 households moved in, they all signed the warranty contract. The warranty period for the house's ceiling was one year. According to documents from the State Council and the Ministry of Construction, the non-main structure quality warranty period for houses is two years. It has been far beyond the warranty period now, so they no longer bear any responsibility for the owner's house.
Mr. Zhao also stated that according to relevant regulations, when a house exceeds its warranty period, the owner themselves should have the obligation to maintain and repair the house. If problems are found, the real estate company can assist the owner in repairing the house, but the repair costs must be borne by the owner. Mr. Zhao said that out of sympathy, the company lent 3000 yuan to the owner on the day of the incident. Considering that the elder had temporarily escaped danger but had not yet recovered, another 3000 yuan was lent to the owner yesterday. They now hope to resolve this matter as soon as possible. If necessary, they can go to authoritative departments for house quality appraisal.
Lawyer: House warranty is based on quality
For a 10-year-old house, if falling cement blocks injure people, does the developer bear any responsibility? Wu Guoqiang, a lawyer from Yangzhou Qingtianzhu Law Firm, believes that the key lies in whether the fallen cement block relates to the structural quality of the house. Although the house has passed the warranty period, the premise of the warranty period is engineering quality, including the quality of the slab and the qualifications of the construction. If these qualities and qualifications do not meet standards, even if it has exceeded the warranty period, the developer still bears responsibility.
Relevant personnel from the Yangzhou City Construction Engineering Quality Supervision and Inspection Station stated that according to national regulations, the decoration and renovation part of the house (including plaster layers) has a warranty period of two years after delivery. For the main structure of the house, the warranty period corresponds to the designed service life of the house, meaning it continues indefinitely. "Houses used for about 10 years must have undergone completion acceptance before delivery. We are considering whether external factors affected the roof, including water seepage, etc."
By Gu Liangliang, Chen Yong, photographic report