Around 8.40am yesterday, an apartment in Lianchuang Industrial Park, in Shenzhen's Longgang District, caught fire. Despite large clouds of black smoke, the flames were put out quickly and no injuries were sustained. That might have been the end of the story, except that the incident brought something to light: nine people had been living in the roughly 30-square-meter space where the fire happened.
Inside the one-room apartment, nine bunk beds lined the walls. The sublessor, surnamed Li, told Southern Metropolis Daily reporters he rents the apartment out from the Lianchuang company. Li and his blind, elderly mother, who is in her 80s, live there themselves.
Of the seven others sharing the space, one has been a renter for more than five years. She reportedly lost all her property, including her ID card, debit card and RMB1,000 in cash in the fire.
Examining other rooms in the building, reporters found similar living situations, with close to 10 people sharing each small space. Some apartments were divided up with wooden partitioning, but most had bunk beds, like Li's room.
The sheer number of people living in the building, needless to say, can lead to dangerous situations. When the fire broke out, most of the renters were at work; only Li's mother and a young man, still sleeping, were present. Luckily, the octogenarian smelled something acrid and woke up the other renter, who brought her outside.
According to local authorities, the cause of the fire is suspected to be faulty electric wiring.
Sketchy housing stories aren't new to Shenzhen: 6-meter-square 'pigeon cage' apartments became a hot topic last fall, and life in the city's 'urban villages' can be far from ideal. With rent continuing to rise in major Chinese cities, the trend seems likely to continue.
READ MORE: 400 People Discovered Living in Subterranean Slum Below Posh Beijing Apartment
[Images via Southern Metropolis Daily]
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