In the Chinese financial metropolis of Shanghai, a spectacular ground collapse occurred at a busy intersection. The incident, which happened in the Minhang district during work on a new metro line, led to the formation of a giant sinkhole up to 20 meters wide. Although the ground gave way in just a few seconds, swallowing sections of the road and nearby structures, no one was injured thanks to an efficient evacuation.
Pipe Failure Cause of Sinkhole
According to preliminary findings, a broken water pipe undermined the soil beneath the metro tunnel under construction, leading to the destabilization of the intersection.
No Casualties Thanks to Evacuation
Thanks to a quick response and area evacuation before the event's climax, no one was injured despite the enormous scale of destruction.
Major Investment Halted
Work on the new Jiamin metro line has been suspended to conduct safety inspections in all neighboring buildings.
The chilling incident occurred last Wednesday in Shanghai's Minhang district. At the intersection of Qixin Road and Li'an Road, where intensive work is underway on the construction of the new Jiamin metro line, the road surface suddenly collapsed. Surveillance footage and amateur videos, which quickly spread across Chinese social media, document the moment cracks appeared in the asphalt, followed by the sudden collapse of earth masses. The sinkhole, nearly 20 meters wide, swallowed not only the road surface but also elements of temporary construction infrastructure. The main cause of the construction disaster was most likely a water and sewer pipe failure. A water leak led to the undermining of the construction site's critical infrastructure, which consequently caused the loss of stability in the subgrade layers. Rescue services confirmed that no one was injured in the incident. This was possible thanks to the vigilance of workers who noticed the first signs of danger in time and conducted an efficient evacuation of the area just before the final collapse of the tunnel structure for the underground line being built. Shanghai, located in the Yangtze River Delta, has been grappling with land subsidence for decades, which, given the enormous scale of infrastructure investments, poses a challenge for engineers. Historically, the city could sink several centimeters per year due to excessive groundwater extraction.Currently, intensive securing work is underway at the site, and construction experts are conducting detailed technical inspections of neighboring buildings. Local authorities have ordered a halt to work on this section until the circumstances of the event are fully clarified and the structural safety is restored. Technical inspections aim to rule out the risk of further collapses that could threaten the dense urban development. This situation highlights the challenges associated with building a metro in the soft, water-saturated soil characteristic of the Chinese coast. 20 meters — is the estimated width of the sinkhole that formed on the roadTimeline of the Shanghai Incident: February 11, noon — First Cracks; February 11, 12:15 — Area Evacuation; February 11, 12:30 — Sudden Sinkhole; February 12, morning — Building Inspections