I knew that a building in Hanoi collapsed last month which was video captured by somebody’s mobile phone. What I did not know was that the newly built pizzeria was actually Pizza Hut. It is funny that none of the newspapers mentioned that the building belong to Pizza Hut.
You can see the collapse on video:
More photos here -> Pizza Hut building collapses in Hanoi
Originally, it was a three stories building. Subsequent owners added more floors to boost income. The Pizza Hut’s owner had a couple load bearing walls knocked out so he could put glass panels in their place. The straw that broke the camel’s back may have been the light earth quake which struck Hanoi a few weeks ago. It’s a miracle that the combination of greeds, bureaucratic corruption, and lax building codes haven’t managed to kill or maim any body as they have else where.