Sinkhole collapses meters away from local building

• Source: Global Times
• [16:46 February 25 2010]
• Comments

By Zhang Cao

A sinkhole beneath a road near the Yonghe residential compound, Zhabei district, collapsed, leaving a four-meter wide hole in the ground just a few meters away from the No.6 building at the compound.

“This has been the fourth time a collapse has taken place here since this compound was built in 1996. The property management company has tried to fix it three times, but none of them worked,” said Li Mingshen, a resident at the No.6 building. “We are worried that our building will collapse.”

People gathered around the hole yesterday, watching a construction worker make repairs.

The latest collapse happened a month ago. It was a small hole at first. We reported to the property management company again and again, but they didn’t pay any attention until today, said Li. “Who knows if this time the repair will work or not.”

In 1998, the road sank for the first time, and then in 2006, and in 2008. Every time, the property management company just asks some guy to put some sand under the road, according to Li.

“The collapse is because underground water washed away the road base,” said Chen Zhi, staff from the Beicheng Property Management company, “This time we were trying to find a good construction company to repair the road. That’s why it took time to reply to residents’ complaints. Workers will dig deeper than the last three times and put more rocks in it.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s totally safe,” said Chen when asked about the safety of the No.6 building.

Chen insisted that the area of the road was once a fishing pond, but some residents told the Global Times that it was a natural river. “Now soft sand must be still under the road,” said Yang Li, another resident.

“When we first moved in, in 1996, we didn’t know about the situation. The government demolished our old house and gave us this apartment. It was compulsory,” Li said.