Tourists scattered in panic: the 600-year-old Fengyang Drum Tower collapsed in China

Visitors to a centuries-old tourist site in eastern China, the Fengyang Drum Tower, were forced to scatter headlong when the temple's tiles fell off and cascaded down from a height of more than two stories. CNN reports this, UNN reports.

Details

The tiles fell from the ancient temple unexpectedly, while the architectural monument and the area around it were filled with visitors. The collapse of the roof raised a huge cloud of gray-brown dust.

The falling of the tiles lasted a minute or two, spectacularly and very threateningly. Frightened people rushed in different directions

Another witness described how he heard a sharp sound of tiles falling one after another from a shop near the entrance to the Drum Tower.

There was no one on the square where the tiles fell, so no one was injured, local officials said, adding that if it had happened a little later, after dinner, many children would have been playing near the tower.

The local bureau of culture and tourism said that no casualties were reported and that "the situation is being investigated."

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The collapse occurred only a year after the tower was renovated due to minor roof damage.

However, the building consists of two parts: the original base and the tower on it. According to local officials, the latter, which was rebuilt in 1995, was mostly damaged.

Addition

The Fengyang Drum Tower, built in 1375 and used to announce the beginning of ceremonies and the time of day, is one of the largest among structures of this type in China.

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The tower is a major tourist attraction in Anhui Province, which is located approximately 320 kilometers from Beijing, the capital of China.

Fengyang County is famous for its history and culture, and was also the birthplace of Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu), the founder of the Ming Dynasty. He ruled in an era of prosperity fueled by strong international trade and population growth. At that time, China replaced its traditional currency of silver and gold with paper money.