Scaffolding Collapses at Beitou Interim Market Demolition in Taipei, Injuring 4; City Orders Stop-Work and 2.5 Million Fine

A major construction safety incident occurred during the demolition of old structures at the Beitou Interim Market redevelopment project in Taipei. A five-story external scaffold suddenly collapsed onto the adjacent street, injuring four people, including a worker who fell from the third floor and suffered cerebral hemorrhage, as well as three passing pedestrians who sustained lacerations. Following an on-site inspection, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an ordered an immediate halt to all construction operations pending a thorough investigation. The New Construction Office will impose a 2.5 million fine on the contractor per contract terms, while the Construction Management Office levied 90,000 fines each on the builder and supervisor. Initial findings by the Taipei Union of Professional Civil Engineers suggested that the scaffold was not dismantled synchronously with the building floor-by-floor, leaving it vulnerable to high wind loads on the dust screens and leading to structural failure.

Key takeaways

• A five-story scaffold collapsed onto the street during demolition at Beitou Interim Market, leaving one worker in intensive care and injuring three pedestrians.
• The Taipei City Government ordered an immediate halt to work, imposing a 2.5 million fine via contract terms and 90,000 regulatory fines on both the supervisor and builder.
• The Taipei Union of Professional Civil Engineers preliminarily attributed the collapse to failing to dismantle scaffolds progressively during demolition, worsened by wind pressure on dust nets.