Around 8 PM on February 7, a sinkhole occurred on Jihua West Road in Chancheng District, Foshan City, about 300 meters west of the First Ring Road bridge.
At 11 PM that night, a Yangcheng Pai reporter arrived at the scene and found that the collapsed section was located between the First Ring Road bridge on Jihua West Road and the vicinity of Foshan International Sanitary Ware City. According to the reporter's preliminary observation at the scene, the sinkhole area was extensive: the eight-lane dual carriageway, including the median strip and the northern sidewalk, all collapsed. The sinkhole area was about the size of two basketball courts, with a depth of at least 6-7 meters. Large chunks of asphalt had fallen off, and underground pipes and streetlights had all dropped into the pit.
The cause of the sinkhole has not yet been officially announced. Since the collapsed section is part of the Foshan Metro Line 2 construction area, many citizens suspect that the sinkhole is related to subway construction. Did the sinkhole cause any casualties? As of 8:40 AM on the 8th, when this article was published, 8 deaths had been confirmed.
According to a message from Chancheng Traffic Police at 10 PM on the 7th, a road collapse had occurred 300 meters west of the First Ring Road bridge on Jihua West Road. The specific cause and repair time are pending announcement by the transportation department. To ensure safety, the traffic police have implemented temporary traffic control measures on Jihua West Road:
1. Two-way traffic control is implemented on Jihua West Road (from the First Ring Road bridge to Taoxing Road section), prohibiting vehicle passage.
2. The east side exit of the First Ring Road remains open; vehicles can turn right from the First Ring Road onto Jihua West Road and travel from west to east; other entrances and exits have been closed. Drivers are advised to detour via Nanzhuang Avenue, Kerun Road, or other entrances and exits of the First Ring Road.
According to the Foshan Transportation Bureau, due to the road collapse on the east-to-west direction of Jihua West Road at the First Ring Road bridge, with a collapsed area of about 200 square meters, the site has been cordoned off to ensure road traffic safety. Traffic police and relevant staff from the Transportation Bureau are directing traffic and studying repair plans. Currently, emergency road closures are in effect in both directions at the First Ring Road bridge on Jihua Road. Passing vehicles are requested to detour in advance.
On the morning of the 8th, the Foshan Transportation Bureau of Guangdong Province reported that around 8:40 PM on February 7, a ground collapse occurred at the construction site of the shield tunnel section from Ludaohu to Huyong on Foshan Metro Line 2, located in Nanzhuang, Chancheng, Foshan. According to preliminary verification, 8 people at the accident site showed no vital signs, 3 are missing, and 9 were rescued and promptly taken to the hospital for emergency treatment; they are currently not in life-threatening condition.
After the collapse accident, the Foshan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government attached great importance to it. Municipal and district leaders, including Party Secretary Lu Yi and Mayor Zhu Wei, were at the command center directing rescue and aftermath work, and instructed that saving the lives of workers should be the top priority.
As of the time of publication, rescue and aftermath work are still underway, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.