Photo: Weibo account of China Newsweek

After a road collapse incident at a construction site for a metro line in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Chengdu Rail Transit Group said on Friday that it was caused by a burst water pipe, and there were no casualties.

According to a statement from Chengdu Rail Transit Group on Friday, at around 3:50 am, two water pipes with diameters of 1 meter and 0.3 meters buried about 2 meters deep outside Xiaonan Street Station on Chengdu Metro Line 13 burst, causing a road surface collapse of about 12 meters, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

After the incident, the water pipe was shut down by the relevant property unit, and the affected road was closed. There were no injuries to personnel at the scene. The incident did not have a direct impact on the construction and operation of the metro.

At 9 am on Friday, the Chengdu traffic management department implemented traffic control measures, according to Sichuan Online. At the collapse site, repair personnel were using cranes and excavators to carry out emergency repairs.

Around 4 am, right after the collapse, nearby residents were told to evacuate the area. Due to traffic restrictions, shops were also unable to operate, said the owner of a nearby store.

"Community workers and security guards knocked on doors one by one, and everyone quickly evacuated. Many residents evacuated to nearby emergency shelters or parks," nearby residents said. The residents of the two residential buildings adjacent to the collapsed road have all been safely evacuated, local media reports said.

According to media reports, a nearby residential compound is currently experiencing water and power outages. Residents are storing water from nearby sources as a backup.

In May, Chengdu rail transit Group said that 20 of 21 stations on line 13 have been completed, with the remaining Xiaonan Street Station undergoing structural construction. It was expected that the station would be finished by August of this year.

Since 2023, a total of 1,517 complaints have been received regarding the construction of the Metro Line 13 Xiaonan Street Station, with 1,298 complaints related to construction noise, according to media reports.

Global Times