By Dorothy Li

A large sinkhole has opened on a street in Shanghai, swallowing a section of the road and engulfing nearby construction structures in the Chinese financial hub.

The incident occurred on Feb. 12 at a subway construction site in Meihang district of southwestern Shanghai, local authorities confirmed to state media.

No casualties or injuries have been reported as of the time of publication. The Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department maintains tight control over the press and social media, with reporting on deadly incidents often heavily restricted. Details and death tolls are released only through state media outlets.

On Feb. 11, Shanghai Shentie Investment, the state-owned company responsible for the subway project, disclosed that it had detected water leaks during excavation, according to a statement posted on the WeChat social media platform. The company added that an “emergency response plan” had been activated to address the seepage issue.

However, the following morning, the ground caved in.

After a video showing cracks rapidly spreading across the road, followed by the road gradually sinking, went viral on Chinese social media platforms, local authorities confirmed to several state media outlets on Feb. 12 that the collapse occurred.

Shanghai Shentong Metro Group, a state-owned company overseeing the city’s metro line operations, confirmed that the sinkhole appeared right at the site where the leakage had been detected the previous day. They have cordoned off the area while investigations are underway, state media reported on Feb. 12.

The city’s traffic management bureau said in a Feb. 11 statement that the incident occurred at the intersection of Qixin Road and Li’an Road and that surrounding roads have since been blocked off.

A photo published by state-affiliated media Beijing News on Feb. 12 shows a temporary worksite shed, construction materials, and lampposts swallowed by the enormous sinkhole. Speaking to Beijing News on late Feb. 12, a construction worker said efforts were being focused on filling the sinkhole with concrete, adding that it remains unclear when the work could be finished.

A local resident expressed concerns about the safety of residential complexes and office towers near the site following the ground collapsing, telling The Epoch Times that many high-rise buildings in the region have basements.

Another Shanghai resident told the publication that the nearby road remains closed, allowing only construction workers to enter. Both men spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals.

The cause of the incident remains unclear. Minhang District authorities told state media that they would release details about the cause through official channels. No statement regarding the incident has been issued as of the time of publication.

China has seen several deadly sinkholes in recent years. In 2020, at least 10 people died after a 32-feet-wide sinkhole swallowed a bus and a number of pedestrians outside a hospital in northern China.

Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.