Thousands Evacuated in China’s Tianjin After Cracks Appear Near High-Rises 

A general view of Tianjin, China, September 7, 2021. Picture taken September 7, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of Tianjin, China, September 7, 2021. Picture taken September 7, 2021. (Reuters)
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Thousands Evacuated in China’s Tianjin After Cracks Appear Near High-Rises 

A general view of Tianjin, China, September 7, 2021. Picture taken September 7, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of Tianjin, China, September 7, 2021. Picture taken September 7, 2021. (Reuters)

Thousands of people were evacuated from several high-rise apartment buildings in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin in recent days after land collapses created large cracks on nearby streets, according to state media and the local government.

Large fissures appeared on roads near a residential complex in Tianjin's Jinnan district and geological experts said they were likely caused by underground cavities below a depth of 1,300 m (4,270 feet), the Tianjin government said on Thursday on social media.

As of June 3, a total of 3,899 residents from at least three 25-storey high-rise buildings were evacuated to nearby hotels, state-backed Global Times quoted the district government as saying.

The Tianjin government called the incident a "sudden geological disaster" following preliminary information from geological experts and several government departments after they did surveying, mapping and monitoring at the site.

"The situation is very rare," according to an expert questioned about the incident at the Tianjin government municipal headquarters.

It cannot be ruled out that the drilling of geothermal wells had resulted in soil loss and land subsidence in the area, the Tianjin government said.

Experts said the high-rise buildings facing the street were affected to varying degrees.

Roads could be seen buckled and warped in photos on social media, while others showed a section of wall tile from a building collapsed on the floor.

The incident adds to concerns for building safety in China, where the government has enforced stricter rules and policies and handed out hefty punishment for lax management of properties.

In addition, the Chinese government has recently had several high-level meetings on geological and hidden disaster preparation.



Australian Man Dies from Bat Bite

Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File
Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File
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Australian Man Dies from Bat Bite

Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File
Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File

An Australian man has died from an "extremely rare" rabies-like infection transmitted by a bat bite, health officials said Thursday.

The man in his 50s was bitten by a bat carrying Australian bat lyssavirus several months ago, the health service in New South Wales said.

"We express our sincere condolences to the man's family and friends for their tragic loss," NSW Health said in a statement.

"While it is extremely rare to see a case of Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no effective treatment for it."

The man from northern New South Wales, who has not been identified, was this week listed as being in a "critical condition" in hospital, said AFP.

The virus -- a close relative to rabies, which does not exist in Australia -- is transmitted when bat saliva enters the human body through a bite or scratch.

First symptoms can take days or years to appear.

Early signs of the disease are flu-like -- a headache, fever and fatigue, the health service said.

The victim's condition rapidly deteriorates, leading to paralysis, delirium, convulsions and death.

There were only three previous cases of human infection by Australian bat lyssavirus since it was first identified in 1996 -- all of them fatal.

People should avoid touching or handling bats, as any bat in Australia could carry lyssavirus, the New South Wales health service said.

"If you or someone you know is bitten or scratched by a bat, you need to wash the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes right away with soap and water and apply an antiseptic with anti-virus action," it said.

"Patients then require treatment with rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine."

The virus has been found in species of flying foxes and insect-eating microbats, NSW Health said.

The type of bat involved in the latest fatality has not been identified.