A woman in China built a staircase to a neighboring house (2 photo)

A woman built a fire escape staircase to a neighboring building, but authorities ordered it to be torn down. Some say it was a lenient punishment.





Reporters said the woman hired workers to break down the outside wall of her apartment several months ago and install iron doors. On the other side of the door, they built a set of steps that lead to the roof of a neighboring building. The stairs don't even have railings.

Wang said she built the doors and stairs for safety reasons. The woman noted that she planned to use the newly installed door and stairs to evacuate to a neighboring building in the event of a fire in her own home.

This became known after a local Internet user reported it on a government website. The authorities conducted an investigation, which showed that the changes made violated the integrity of the residential building.

It is not known whether the woman was fined. The municipal department of urban services instructed her to restore the original state of the building with the help of a certified construction team.

"Load-bearing walls are necessary for safety. Any changes to the building can increase the risk of harm," the department noted.

The incident sparked a heated discussion on the Internet. Some noted that returning the house to its original state is too lenient a punishment, and the woman should be sent to prison. Others asked where the management company was at that time - it should have noticed the fact that the walls in the houses were collapsing.