13 missing after Shenzhen railway construction cave-in

Thirteen people are missing after a cave-in at a construction site for a major railway in Shenzhen, local authorities said yesterday.

The ground under a section of the Shenzhen-Jiangmen railway "suddenly collapsed" around 11pm on Wednesday, according to the Bao'an District emergency management bureau.

A search for the missing was ongoing yesterday morning and the cause of the collapse is being investigated.

Authorities have evacuated nearby residents.

Major expressways near the site were closed yesterday morning for the rescue effort, according to city officials.

Construction began in 2022 on the railway section connecting Shenzhen to Jiangmen in Guangdong province.

Industrial accidents are fairly common in China due to vague regulations and lax safety standards.

A mining accident in southwestern Sichuan province claimed eight lives in August.

A gas explosion in the northern province of Hebei killed seven people and injured dozens in March.

In the eastern city of Nanjing, 15 people died in a residential building fire in February this year.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE