Teen Plunges 18 Floors Off Tower Block As Ledge Crumbles

Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

Video Credit: AsiaWire

This is the moment a teenager standing on the roof of a high-rise tower block plummets 18 storeys after a concrete ledge crumbles beneath his feet.

The 19-year-old schoolboy Yang, who was identified only by his surname, was said to be in an emotional state when he climbed over the protective railings on the rooftop – but reports say he had no intention of jumping before the tragic accident claimed his life.

Footage taken by a resident in a neighbouring high-rise in the city of Qinyang, which is in Central China’s Henan Province, shows the teen standing on the 18-storey ledge of the tower block on 22nd April.

Picture Credits: AsiaWire

The edge of the roof suddenly crumbles, Yang falls and he tries to grab the ledge, the video shows.

However, he is unable to grab on and instead plunges down the side of the building at roughly 1pm local time.

According to a statement made by the Qinyang Public Security Bureau, the incident happened inside the Changji Kaixuanmen Residential Area and has already been ruled an accident.

The building Yang was standing on is reportedly where his aunt lives.

The teenager, who is repeating his last year in secondary school, is said to have revealed his “poor family relations” to his teachers at a local private school.

They only saw him for one term before he took the rest of the year off, presumably due to family problems.

Reports have called into question the quality of building materials used in the residential district, suggesting that the boy’s death was caused by the cheap concrete used the clad the rooftop.

In June 2017, residents of the gated community reportedly penned a joint letter to a local official complaining of the build quality following flooding in basements and cracks in walls.

The property developer has yet to respond publicly to the incident.