Thirteen workers remain unaccounted for after a sudden ground collapse at a construction site for the Shenzhen-Jiangmen railway in southern China, local authorities reported on Thursday.
The incident occurred at around 11 pm (1500 GMT) on Wednesday in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District. Emergency response teams launched a search and rescue operation Thursday morning, while the cause of the collapse is under investigation.
Authorities evacuated nearby residents as a precaution and closed major expressways near the site to facilitate rescue efforts.
The Shenzhen-Jiangmen railway project, under construction since 2022, is part of a significant infrastructure initiative aimed at enhancing connectivity in Guangdong province.
The collapse adds to a series of industrial accidents in China, often attributed to lax safety standards and oversight. Recent incidents in 2024 include a mining accident in Sichuan province in August that claimed eight lives, a gas explosion in Hebei province in March that killed seven and injured dozens, and a residential building fire in February in Nanjing that left 15 dead.
Local authorities are prioritising rescue operations and have pledged a thorough investigation to determine the collapse’s cause. Residents and travellers near the site have been urged to stay away as emergency crews continue their efforts.
The incident raises further questions about safety protocols in China’s rapid infrastructure expansion.
