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Shenzhen’s landmark electronics skyscraper closed for investigation after shaking triggers panic

  • SEG Plaza, Shenzhen’s fifth-tallest skyscraper in the famed Huaquiangbei electronics district, was closed for investigation after shaking caused a panic
  • The city government said the structure is safe, allowing merchants back in the bottom floors, but there is no timeline for full reopening

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Once the second-tallest building in Shenzhen, SEG Plaza is now the eighth-tallest in the city. The tower’s unexpected shaking on Tuesday caused panic in the city’s Huaqiangbei electronics district, causing crowds to flee hurriedly through the streets.
Yujie Xuein Shenzhen
SEG Plaza, the fifth-tallest skyscraper in China’s southern technology hub of Shenzhen, remained closed on Wednesday after it shook mysteriously and caused a panic in the city’s famous Huaqiangbei electronics district on Tuesday afternoon.

Although an initial government investigation found the structure to be safe, a visit to the site on Wednesday showed that only security and investigation personnel were being allowed into the building. One security guard outside the building said there is no timetable for reopening it before the investigation concludes.

The mysterious shaking of the 20-year-old building that spans more than 70 storeys sent thousands of its tenants, mostly staff of small companies that rent office space in the tower, fleeing through the streets around lunchtime on Tuesday. Videos of crowds scurrying away from the building went viral on social media, and topics related to the accident were trending on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

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Landmark Shenzhen skyscraper sways, sparking emergency evacuation

Landmark Shenzhen skyscraper sways, sparking emergency evacuation

The shaking of the office building also affected the SEG Electronics Market, a 10-storey structure that sits at the base of the tower. It has long been one of Shenzhen‘s most famous wholesale electronics markets, where buyers can find an array of obscure hardware components. Merchants were allowed to enter this area on Wednesday, but customers were still being denied entrance.

Many merchants in the SEG market said they did not feel the shaking on Tuesday, suggesting it was mostly just the central tower that was affected.

“Vendors from the ninth floor said they felt it and that the shaking felt like an earthquake,” said Hu Jian, a live-streaming equipment vendor in the building. “We couldn’t feel it from the second floor.”

Merchants were asked not to return to the building until Wednesday morning, multiple sellers said. It also does not appear to have significantly impacted business, they said, as they can still sell online and they expect customers to be allowed back in soon.
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