Residents evacuated after underwater tunnel caves in in central China

11-30-2010 10:57 BJT

CHANGSHA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Part of the ground atop of a cross-river tunnel in central China's Hunan Province caved in Monday, forcing the evacuation of residents living nearby, local authorities said.

The ground caved in at 8:10 p.m. after sand and mud gushed into the Yingpan Road tunnel being built in Changsha, capital of Hunan, officials with the city government said.

Photo taken on Nov. 30, 2010 shows the accident site in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Part of the ground atop of the Yingpan Road tunnel being built in Changsha caved in Monday, forcing the evacuation of residents living nearby, local authorities said. No casualties have been reported.(Xinhua/Long Hongtao)

People live in the area have been moved to safe places and no casualties have been reported.

Construction of the tunnel started in September 2009, and is expected to finish by the end of next year. The four-lane tunnel, going through Xiangjiang River, involves about 1.87 billion yuan (280.5 million U.S. dollars) in investment.

Workers are trying to repair the cave-in area.