Collapsed Houses in Hunan Were Prefabricated Panel Structures

There were indeed prefabricated panel structures in the collapsed houses in Hunan. Here is a detailed analysis:

Judging from multiple accident cases, houses with prefabricated panel structures are relatively common in collapsed house accidents in Hunan. In the self-built residential building collapse accident in Changsha on April 29, 2022, the building involved was an old-style building, and the probability of using prefabricated panel structures in such old buildings was relatively high. Prefabricated panels were widely used in early construction due to their fast construction speed and relatively low cost, and were extensively used in self-built houses and some old residential communities. However, as time passed, houses with prefabricated panel structures gradually exposed some problems, such as poor integrity and weak earthquake resistance. When subjected to external force impacts or structural aging after long-term use, they were prone to collapse accidents.

In the storefront exterior wall collapse accident on Chaozong Street and Sangui Street in Changsha on October 31, 2025, the collapsed floor was a prefabricated panel component floor. This further illustrates that prefabricated panel structures have potential safety hazards under specific circumstances. Even if only local prefabricated panel components have problems, they may trigger serious collapse accidents, causing huge losses to personnel and property.

In some house collapse cases in Yueyang County, Hunan in 2024, villagers mentioned that the collapsed houses included prefabricated panel structures. This reflects that in some areas of Hunan, houses with prefabricated panel structures still exist, and due to various reasons, such as long-term disrepair and illegal renovations, the structural stability of the houses is compromised, eventually leading to collapses.

In addition, as of February 2026, there are still more than 120,000 D-grade dilapidated houses in urban areas across the country waiting to be dealt with, among which prefabricated panel houses account for more than 60%, involving about 56 million residents. This data indicates that the safety issues of houses with prefabricated panel structures are widespread. In Hunan and even across the country, a large number of prefabricated panel houses have potential safety hazards and require high attention. Relevant departments should strengthen the monitoring and inspection of such houses and carry out reinforcement or renovation in a timely manner to safeguard the lives and property of residents.