Shanghai Sinkhole Swallows Construction Equipment

A massive sinkhole opened suddenly on a busy intersection in Shanghai, China, swallowing construction equipment and part of the roadway but causing no injuries, authorities reported. The collapse occurred on the morning of February 12 at the intersection of Qixin Road and Lian Road in the city's Minhang District, where crews were working on an extension of the Jiamin Metro Line.

The incident unfolded shortly after workers discovered a water leak during underground excavations the previous day. Contractors from the China Railway Tunnel Group had struck groundwater around 10:30 a.m. on February 11, prompting officials to close the intersection to traffic as they pumped out the water. This precaution likely averted a more serious accident, as the area was occupied by construction teams rather than vehicles when the ground gave way. Security camera footage captured the dramatic sequence: cracks formed along the road's edge, followed by the surface buckling and dropping away, pulling in barriers, materials, and heavy machinery. More than a dozen workers, standing just feet from the site, paused briefly before scrambling to safety as the crater widened to several meters across. Water...