A 73-storey skyscraper evacuated after intense shaking in China

A 73-storey skyscraper was evacuated on May 18^th in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen when it began to sway.

Local authorities still do not know what caused the over 300 meters high building, named SEG Plaza, to shake, while the possibility of seismic vibration was ruled out.

The investigation is still ongoing. The 20-year-old building houses an electronics market, as well as office spaces, and is located in the heart of Shenzhen, a city of more than 12 million people.

Footage shared over social media showed hundreds of people evacuating the skyscraper promtly. China's Global Times reported that the local government of Shenzhen's Futian district, where the SEG Plaza skyscraper is located, received reports from building staff about the shaking incident at about 12:31 p.m. local time.

credits: Analysis TV

By 14:00, the building had been completely evacuated, the newspaper reported. In a statement that followed, the local government said that, according to a preliminary investigation, it found that "there are no cracks in the ground around the building" and no damage was done to "parts of the outer wall".

Completed in 2000, the SEG Plaza is the 104th tallest building in China and the 212nd tallest in the world, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.