A massive sinkhole suddenly opened on a busy intersection in Shanghai’s Minhang District on Wednesday, swallowing a significant stretch of roadway and disrupting traffic in the area. The collapse, captured on CCTV and widely shared on social media, occurred at the junction of Qixin Road and Li’an Road, near an active construction site for the city’s expanding metro system.
According to local authorities, the incident took place on the morning of February 11. Security footage from the scene shows cracks rapidly spiderwebbing across the asphalt just moments before the ground gave way. The road surface then buckled and collapsed into a deep crater estimated to be between 10 and 20 meters wide. The void consumed a large section of the tarmac, street lamps, and a temporary workstation tent positioned nearby.
Witnesses and workers in the vicinity were seen fleeing the area as the ground became unstable. Despite the dramatic nature of the collapse, officials have confirmed that there were no casualties or injuries. Bystanders and vehicles reportedly managed to clear the danger zone seconds before the road fell into the water-filled pit below.
Preliminary investigations suggest the collapse may be linked to ongoing construction work for the Jiamin Metro Line. Reports indicate that a water leak had been flagged at the excavation site the previous day, which may have compromised the soil integrity beneath the road. Following the collapse, a burst underground pipe was visible within the crater, spraying water and further flooding the hole.
Emergency response teams from the China Railway Tunnel Bureau were dispatched immediately to the scene. Crews have erected barriers around the perimeter and deployed pumps to manage the flooding. Both Qixin Road and Li’an Road remain closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic as engineers assess the stability of the surrounding ground and prevent secondary collapses.
The incident has renewed discussions regarding urban land subsidence in China. A recent study published in the journal Science noted that nearly half of China’s major cities are experiencing moderate to severe subsidence, attributed to factors such as groundwater extraction and the weight of rapid urban construction. Shanghai, with its soft alluvial soil foundation, has historically been prone to such geological shifts.
City officials have urged the public to avoid the area while repairs are underway. An investigation into the precise cause of the structural failure is currently ongoing, with authorities promising a thorough review of safety protocols at nearby construction zones.
