One of the two nearly collapsed buildings, the Uranus Building (天王星大樓) in Hualien City, has begun demolition after continued stabilization efforts at the site. Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚) and Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) attended the commencement ceremony Friday Morning.
Hsu stated the demolition is expected to be completed within a two-week period. She noted the 1986-constructed building had become increasingly vulnerable over time due to aging and earthquake damage. Large excavation equipment has been pre-assembled on site, with initial work slated to begin Friday afternoon.
While some residents have expressed a desire to retrieve important personal belongings, Hsu indicated that access will remain restricted for now, though safe retrieval methods are being explored. 24-hour security and surveillance will be maintained throughout the process to protect public safety.
The overall demolition will proceed in a top-down sequence, with real-time adjustments based on the building's evolving conditions. Any resident property discovered will be collected and held at a nearby police station. Reinforcement and containment measures have also been implemented to safeguard surrounding structures and mitigate dust dispersion amid continuing aftershocks.