Hualien, Taiwan — December 9, 2025
Prosecutors have concluded their investigation into the collapse of the Uranus Building during the April 3 (0403) Hualien earthquake, which resulted in the death of a female teacher surnamed Kang, who was trapped beneath the fallen structure. The Hualien District Prosecutors Office announced today that the developer, a man surnamed Chen, has been indicted for criminal negligence resulting in death.
Authorities also revealed that the building’s architect, Tsao Yun-sheng, who designed the structure decades ago, has been wanted by prosecutors after having migrated overseas for many years. In a surprising twist, Tsao was also the architect of the Wujyu Wusu (吾居吾宿) residential building, which collapsed in the February 6, 2018 Hualien earthquake.
Previous Earthquake Collapse Linked to Design Issues
During the 0206 earthquake in 2018, the Wujyu Wusu building suffered a collapse. Although no casualties occurred, residents questioned whether an illegal three-story rooftop addition contributed to the structural failure. This led to a formal investigation.
Prosecutors later found that the collapse was mainly caused by poor structural design and substandard construction, including insufficient steel reinforcement and inadequate concrete strength. However, since the civil engineer involved had already passed away and the violations exceeded the 10-year statute of limitations, both the developer Hsieh Chang-li and architect Tsao Yun-sheng were not prosecuted.
Expert Report Reveals Severe Structural Defects
In 2018, the Hualien District Prosecutors Office commissioned a structural analysis from the Taiwan Society of Professional Engineers. Their findings highlighted multiple critical deficiencies in the Wujyu Wusu building:
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The structural design completed in 1994 had only one-third of the required seismic resistance at the time.
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The building’s weight was severely underestimated by around 24%, leading to miscalculations of seismic forces.
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Seven columns on the first floor were undersized due to incorrect structural assumptions.
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During construction, higher-grade steel (4200 kgf/cm²) was mistakenly replaced with lower-grade steel (2800 kgf/cm²).
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Steel reinforcement quantities were insufficient and did not match the approved plans.
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Poor concrete placement caused steel corrosion.
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Architect Tsao failed to conduct on-site supervision, allowing construction errors to go unchecked.
Statute of Limitations Prevents Prosecution in Older Case
The Wujyu Wusu building was completed on November 4, 1996, meaning all potential violations related to improper design or construction had already surpassed the 10-year prosecution window. As a result, prosecutors declined to pursue charges against:
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Developer Hsieh Chang-li
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Architect Tsao Yun-sheng
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Civil engineer (surname Lin), who had already passed away
Despite the earlier case closing without charges, the tragic death resulting from the 0403 earthquake has led prosecutors to hold the responsible parties accountable. The indictment of the developer and the issuance of a warrant for the architect mark significant steps toward determining responsibility for the fatal structural failure.