One of China’s tallest skyscrapers began shaking mysteriously.
Residents of one of the tallest skyscrapers in China – the 980ft SEG Plaza, were evacuated after it began mysteriously shaking. The people were running for safety while the building was swinging. As Daily Mail reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday at around 1 pm. in the city of Shenzhen.
Although many believed there was an earthquake, authorities claimed that no earthquakes have been recorded at the time.
At 2:40 pm, about two hours after the unusual activity began, the 79-story skyscraper was closed down. Currently, emergency teams are looking for the actual cause of the sudden shake.
According to a chief engineer, the movement was caused by mechanical resonance.
Lu Jianxin, a chief engineer at China Construction Science and Industry Corp, believes that SEG Plaza began shaking because of mechanical resonance. Talking to the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, he explained:
“If there was no earthquake today, it would be unusual for SEG Plaza to have such a situation. Judging from the currently available information, this could be an accidental frequency coincidence, that is, resonance.”
As per the local weather report, “the cause of the shaking is being verified by various departments.”
Videos taken by bystanders capture the chilling moment as the massive building shakes, while people are running in a bid to find safety.
— Shenzhen Pages (@ShenzhenPages) May 18, 2021
Ji Jialin, who was inside of SEG Plaza at the time of the incident, said:
“The shaking didn’t seem strong from the 14th floor… we all escaped with others by taking the stairs.”
Although traffic near the building resumed by 6 pm, it remained roped off. It is still unclear when the SEG Plaza will reopen.
