Multiple videos circulating online on Monday showed large sections of roof tiles crashing down from the historic Drum Tower in Fengyang County, east China's Anhui Province, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.

A nearby shop owner told the Shanghai Morning Post that the tiles kept falling for about 1 to 2 minutes. It happened less than one year after a refurbishment of the historic building passed inspection, according to local authorities.

Originally built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and rebuilt in 1995, the Fengyang Drum Tower is a prominent cultural landmark in the county. It comprises a two-part structure: a towering platform and an upper pavilion. The base alone measures 72 meters from north to south, 34.25 meters from east to west, and stands 15.8 meters tall — making it the largest drum tower platform in China.

Public records reveal that the tower had recently undergone major repairs, with the project contract valued at 3.41 million yuan (US$472,000).

In a statement released on Monday evening, the Fengyang County Bureau of Culture and Tourism confirmed that around 6:30pm, roof tiles on one side of the Drum Tower had fallen. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

The bureau added on Tuesday that the maintenance project had been launched in February 2023 in response to escalating structural concerns. Following a public bidding process in May, the project's design, construction, and supervision units were selected. Work began in September 2023 and was officially completed in March 2024.