Taipei: The Taipei District Court on Wednesday sentenced the construction site supervisor of the Kee Tai Properties project to four years and 10 months in prison over the 2023 collapse of a neighboring residential building in Dazhi District, Taipei. Prosecutors found that Chang Po-hsiang failed to follow construction plans and procedures, while also repeatedly altering monitoring data to avoid disputes over damage to neighboring properties.

According to Focus Taiwan, the court's ruling also sentenced project manager Chiu Cheng-hung to two years and eight months, while Kee Tai employee Chiang Jo-yen received an eight-month sentence. Supervising architect Wang Te-sheng received a one-year sentence, suspended for two years, and technician Liu Feng-shou was given a 10-month sentence. The rulings can be appealed.

The case originated from a September 7, 2023, incident when excavation work at the Kee Tai Dazhi construction site caused a neighboring residential building to sink and several nearby buildings to tilt, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and relocate temporarily. The prosecution argued that Chiu and Chang disregarded warnings from the site's monitoring system and continued excavation work. Liu and Wang were also found to have failed in their inspection and supervision duties, rendering the project's safety review mechanisms ineffective.

The five defendants faced indictments in April 2024 on charges related to violations of construction practices. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants' actions significantly contributed to the incident and sought prison sentences for those deemed responsible.