Ground collapse in Beijing traps old lady in hole on November 17, 2021. Photo: screenshot from Sina Weibo.

The sudden ground collapse in Beijing has caused an old lady to fall through a hole when she was taking a random stroll on a sidewalk, said media reports. Although the situation was terrifying, she was not harmed.

Experts say the collapse could be caused by underground construction or the aging of underground cables.

The video on social media shows that a rectangular- shaped pit with the length of an arm span appeared on the sidewalk. And the hole was only surrounded by several stools and cones as a reminder.

The police told the local media that the old lady fell through as she tried to go around alongside the pit, but failed as the bricks she stepped on suddenly began to loosen and collapse as well.

Though the cause of the hole is still under investigation, experts explained two possible reasons for the collapse of urban roads: one is the fracture of the aging underground pipelines and cables, and the other is the vibration caused by underground construction.

Global Times