Editor's Note:

The story Locals in hole after road collapse appeared on February 21 in Metro Beijing. It was about villagers fearing for their safety after a 1.5-meter-deep sinkhole formed in Jijiamiao, Fengtai district. The ground collapsed after a resident drove a car down a narrow lane between two houses in the village on February 18. Villagers suspect the sinkhole was caused by construction on the second phase of Subway Line 10, which passes about 15 meters beneath the village. The incident drew attention from the local government and the construction company of Beijing Subway Line 10 later that day. Construction experts investigated the cause of the sinkhole on February 20, although have not yet released results of their probe.

The story:

On February 20, local media broke news of the sinkhole and villagers' claims it was triggered by construction of the second phase of Subway Line 10, which opened in December 2012.

Fears grew among villagers that their lives might be in danger if further sinkholes formed. Liu Yuzhu, director of the Jijiamiao village committee, said plans were afoot to relocate residents in homes near the sinkhole as a safety precaution.

Liu told Metro Beijing he had inspected the sinkhole and notified the subway construction company on February 18. "We knew this sinkhole was related to construction of Subway Line 10 because it's not the first time it has caused a hole," Liu said, noting that the last time was in early 2012, shortly after construction on the second phase had started.

An engineer surnamed Jia from the construction company, China Railway 12th Bureau Group, insisted the cause of the sinkhole could only be revealed after its investigation was complete.

Wang Mengshu, chief engineer of the China Railway Tunnel Group, said that the sinkhole could be related to hidden holes underground that were undiscovered when the subway tunnel was dug. "Beijing's subway construction companies should conduct a thorough inspection of geological conditions beforehand," he said.

The back story:

Sinkholes have plagued Beijing over the past couple of years, although most cases are blamed on Mother Nature, such as rainwater seeping under pavement, instead of human activity.

When I was assigned the story, I initially doubted villagers' claims. Some past stories I pursued based on local media reports had proven to be based on groundless claims, so I was skeptical as I rang the Jijiamiao village committee.

The staff member who took my call denied knowing anything about the sinkhole, adding that there was nobody in the office available to comment on the issue.

Claims that the sinkhole was caused by subway construction seemed to have made the local government wary about discussing the matter, so I decided to see the sinkhole for myself and talk to villagers.

I expected that few villagers would know about the sinkhole, yet it was soon apparent upon arriving that many were aware of it. Accompanied by Metro Beijing photographer Li Hao, we strolled down Jijiamiao Lu - the site of the sinkhole - and noticed a nearby courtyard that housed several families.

Wooden boards and warning signs had been erected haphazardly over and around the hole, which was 1 meter deep and 1.5 meters wide.

Villagers soon gathered around me after I identified myself as a reporter to discuss their safety concerns. One local woman, Li Zhenying, said that she dared not walk near the site of the hole amid fear another could form and devour her.

"I can feel the subway trains every time they pass underground," said Li, noting her particular terror from feeling tremors while using the toilet. "I want to move elsewhere for my safety, but I have nowhere to go."

Liu blamed subway construction for also causing cracks to form in walls of some houses in the village. His cooperation in speaking to me as a reporter was refreshing, particularly since many local government officials instinctively shirk the media in cases involving negative news.

Liu even left his personal cellphone number with me in case I had any follow-up enquiries.

"We've laid wooden boards, put up warning signs around the hole and dispatched staff to monitor it around the clock for villagers' safety," he said. "We've also hung a light above the hole so that passersby can see it at night."

Liu said he "welcomed the convenience" the new phase of the subway line had brought to locals, but said safety aboveground was paramount.

Later that day while back at the office, I contacted the China Railway 12th Bureau Group.

The engineer surnamed Jia was willing to talk about the sinkhole, but denied the company was responsible for causing it.

"Our legal responsibility expires if no incidents occur 100 days after the project's completion, and now 500 days have past," he said. "But we are willing to take action over it in the interests of public safety."

Asked about cracks that have formed in village houses, Jia claimed this could be the result of poor construction materials being used for walls.

Over the past two years, Beijing has witnessed a growing number of sinkholes caused by construction of the city's rapidly expanding subway network.

In April 2011, a section of road along Shiliuzhuang Lu in Fengtai district collapsed when a truck from a construction site was devoured by a sinkhole about 30 meters deep.

The hole was above a tunnel being dug for construction of the second phase of Subway Line 10. No statement from the construction company was issued following the incident.

The latest case occurred on a major highway bridge in Tongzhou district that subsided along several sections on February 23. The depressions, some as deep as 10 centimeters, were allegedly caused by construction of the second phase of Subway Line 6.

Results from an investigation into the incident by the Beijing No.3 Construction Engineering Quality Test Department have yet to be released.

Wang Mengshu, chief engineer of the China Railway Tunnel Group, said there are many possible causes for sinkholes and depressions along roads other than just subway construction.

"Poor geological conditions, broken water pipes and significant loss of groundwater could all be causes for ground collapses," he said. "Nevertheless, if subway construction companies conduct thorough inspections of these factors in the first place, such problems can be avoided altogether."