Roof of 600-year-old tower collapses, tourists push each other to escape

(Dan Tri) - The tiled roof of an ancient drum tower in Anhui province (China) suddenly collapsed on the afternoon of May 19, nearly hitting many tourists who were sightseeing outside.

According to a May 20 announcement from the Department of Culture and Tourism of Fuyang County, at around 6:30 p.m. on May 19, the eastern tiled roof of the Ming Zhongdu Drum Tower suddenly slipped, causing almost all of the tiles to fall to the ground. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

Many videos circulating on social media recorded the scene of the roof collapsing, hundreds of tiles falling down in seconds, creating a large cloud of dust, causing tourists to panic and flee the area.

Roof of ancient tower in China collapsed, tourists ran away to escape (Video: Reuters).

Local authorities quickly deployed an emergency response plan, evacuated all surrounding residents and sealed off the scene. A task force was also established to investigate the cause of the incident.

According to the Straits Times , this drum tower was built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, consisting of a high pedestal base and the upper structure. The base was recognized as a provincial cultural relic in 1989.

However, the upper part of the building was destroyed in 1853 during the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in 1995.

Fuyang County officials confirmed that the damaged part was mainly on the upper structure, while the Ming Dynasty base was still preserved.

Since 2017, the structure has shown signs of damage to the tiles and eaves. Notably, the falling tile incident occurred just one year after the roof was repaired due to minor damage.

The moment the tower's roof collapsed, there were quite a few tourists in front (Photo: Screenshot).

The country's media quoted a witness as saying: "The time the roof tiles fell took about 1-2 minutes."

Another person said that as he walked from a shop near the gate to the tower, he heard the sound of tiles falling one by one. "No one was hurt, but if it had happened a little later, it could have hit many children who often come to play near the tower after dinner," he said.

Photo of damaged tiled roof taken on May 20 (Photo: Xinhua News Agency).

The Drum Tower in Fuyang is one of the largest in China, and was once used to signal the time of day and open ceremonies. It is now a popular tourist attraction in Anhui province, about 320km from Beijing.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/mai-toa-thap-hon-600-tuoi-do-sap-khach-du-lich-xo-day-nhau-chay-thoat-than-20250521204433733.htm