A shocking video captured the moment roof tiles on a 600-year-old tower in China began collapsing and cascading down to the ground. Fengyang Drum Tower, in the northeast of the country, was built in 1375 to announce the beginning of ceremonies and the time of day. State media reports it’s one of the biggest of its kind.
The typically quiet site, roughly 200 miles from Beijing, was disrupted on Monday when tiles from the roof came crashing down from the structure, sending a plume of grey dust into the air. An eyewitness told Yangcheng Evening News that the incident lasted for “a minute or two”. Another said he heard the sound of the tiles falling from a shop at the entrance of the tower. He told The Beijing News: “There was no one in the square and no one was injured.
“If it happened a little later, there would be many children playing [near the tower] after dinner.”
The local culture and tourism bureau did not report any casualties, adding that the “situation is under investigation”.
This comes just one year after the tower underwent renovations following minor damage to the roof.
The building consists of two parts: the original Ming-era tower and the tower on top of it, which sustained most of the damage.
Fengyang County, where Drum Tower is located, is known for being the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming dynasty.
The Hongwu Emperor reigned from 1368 to 1369, during which time international trade was strong and the population grew.
