Construction Manager Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years for Deadly Building Collapse

A construction site manager has been sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in prison for his role in the "Kaitai Dazhi" building collapse, which destroyed 25 neighboring homes in September 2023. The Taipei District Court found the manager, Zhang Boxiang, guilty of violating construction regulations and falsifying documents.

Prosecutors accused Zhang and other defendants of cutting corners to speed up construction. They allegedly reduced the thickness of a retaining wall from 60 cm to 50 cm, deviating from structural plans. To avoid delays, they also reportedly instructed subcontractors to proceed with geological improvement work before completing the retaining wall, and failed to conduct proper testing to ensure compliance with structural requirements.

Further allegations include that Zhang and others manipulated monitoring data to conceal the extent of damage to neighboring properties, which had already begun in April 2023. Despite knowing that monitoring data had reached or exceeded warning levels, construction continued, ultimately leading to the collapse.

Other individuals sentenced include Qiu Chenghong, a project manager at Kaitai Construction, who received 2 years and 8 months for violating construction regulations. Architect Wang Desheng, the supervisor, and technician Liu Fengshou were also convicted of falsifying documents, receiving sentences of 1 year (with a 2-year suspension) and 10 months, respectively. The court emphasized the severe impact of their actions on public safety and the hundreds of residents displaced from their homes.