Cracks and Falling Tiles Everywhere: "Only 10 Years After Construction"
Hundreds Killed in Pyongyang Apartment Collapse in 2014
Concerns are mounting over the possible collapse of the 53-story apartment building in Pyongyang's Future Scientist Street, which was constructed in the city center on the orders of Kim Jong Un. Anxiety is spreading among residents as cracks have appeared in the corners, and plaster and tiles are falling off the walls.
On April 24, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported, citing North Korean sources, that residents of the 53-story apartment?the tallest building in Pyongyang's Future Scientist Street?are living in fear that the building may collapse.
According to the source, "The 53-story apartment in Mirae-dong, Pyongchon District, is a symbolic building representing Future Scientist Street. Cracks are appearing in the walls throughout the building, and plaster and tiles are falling off, which is fueling widespread concerns and anxiety among residents about the possibility of the apartment collapsing."
This apartment, constructed in the shape of an atomic nucleus, is a mixed-use residential and commercial building officially named 'Eunha Apartment.' At the top of the building, a symbolic tower representing the street's identity has been installed, featuring a 24-meter-high, approximately 40-ton sculpture of the Earth and a satellite.
A resident who requested anonymity said, "When the new street was built, the authorities promoted the 53-story apartment as the best structure ever built and a source of pride for Pyongyang. However, defects have started to appear everywhere just 10 years after its construction."
The resident added, "Those whose homes or nearby walls have developed cracks are especially anxious. Some residents are even mentioning the collapse of a 23-story apartment in Ansan 1-dong in May 2014."
This is not the first time concerns have been raised about apartment collapses in Pyongyang. On May 13, 2014, a 23-story apartment building in Ansan 1-dong, Pyongchon District, Pyongyang, collapsed, reportedly killing hundreds of people. Following the incident, senior officials, including the Minister of People's Security (now Minister of Social Security) and the chief secretary of the Pyongyang City Party Committee, publicly apologized to residents and bereaved families at the direction of the authorities.
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