Two newly constructed buildings in the Pudong area of Shanghai, nicknamed the “kissing buildings”, are threatening their occupants as one building leans precariously into the other.

The apartment buildings were first occupied by residents only two years ago. Yet foundation cracks can already be seen throughout the exterior of the leaning No. 17, which is located only inches away from its twin 15-story neighbor at their closest spot.

Pudong was originally a swampy grassland that was largely undeveloped before the revitalization of China’s economy in the 1990s. In order to ensure a stable foundation, thousands of steel pillars dozens of meters long were driven into the earth.

However, Pudong’s highest skyscrapers already have long cracks in the sidewalks below them as critics claim the entire area is sinking.

Shanghai is also where a 13-story apartment building fell over completely intact, having become free from its foundation. One person was killed in the incident, but no residents were living in the building at the time.

Photos: People’s Daily Online, SMG News