A second sinkhole was discovered in Shenzhen on Song Yuan Road yesterday (February 26), just one day after a sinkhole in the city’s Beihuan Avenue swallowed a taxi, injuring five, China News reported.
The one on the Shenzhen Beihuan Avenue, measuring 10 square meters and 4 meters deep, resulted in five injuries including the driver and four passengers, the newspaper said. No one was injured in the second sinkhole and construction is already underway to repair the road.
The taxi’s left front wheel plunged into the cavity and fell off its axle. The driver was left with a fractured ankle and the four passengers all had different bruises, the report said.
Sinkholes have been plaguing Shenzhen for a while. Last year, 10 sinkholes were discovered in the city causing several deaths and injuries, according to the report.
Construction workers are repairing the sinkhole on the Beihuan Avenue in Shenzhen
In addition to water erosion, the sinkholes are caused by the city’s old underground water pipes, according to Shenzhen Water China Group. The water pipes were first installed in the city in 1994, but the company said the shoddy quality of the pipes is leading to erosion.
One netizen wrote: “Shenzhen sinkholes have caused six deaths and seven injuries so far. If you are afraid of talking lifts, you can still use the stairs. But if you are worried about the road, what else are you supposed to do?”
Another one wrote: “The most reassuring thing in the world is keeping one’s feet on the ground. But why do I even have to worry about the ground now?”
Home page and content photo credit: www.china.com