Villagers evacuated after ground sinking in south China

A staff introduces the sinking conditions at Xiamao Village in Baiyun District of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Dec. 20, 2008. Nearly 400 villagers were evacuated after a serious ground cave-in affected 73 buildings in south China's Guangdong Province, local officials said Saturday. (Chinese media/Liu Dawei)Photo Gallery

GUANGZHOU, Dec. 20 (Chinese media) -- Nearly 400 villagers

were evacuated after a serious ground cave-in affected 73 houses in south

China's Guangdong Province, officials said Saturday.

Houses and residential buildings in Xiamao Village in

Baiyun District of Guangzhou, the provincial capital, began to sink at about

4:15 p.m. Friday, forcing 381 people to escape, according to Liu Weiqiang, vice

head of the district.

The ground sinking affected an area of about 5,000

square meters, where one building collapsed, 11 houses sank or suffered cracks,

and 61 others were under safety monitoring.

Among those affected, 334 were migrant residents and

47 were locals. Many sought shelter in the conference hall and an entertainment

center, while others moved in with their relatives or friends.

Liu said the government will help 134 of them to find

temporary homes as the sinking area is still dangerous.

No one was injured as the buildings were tilting

slowly and people had time to evacuate.

The sinking area remained cordoned off as of Saturday

evening.

Looking from afar, a five-story building in the core

area was seen leaning on a big tree with windows about to fall. Some other

buildings sank nearly one meter and were flooded.

"I was not allowed to get into my house last night

after work. My wife and I had to stay in the conference hall overnight," said

Zhu Fuping, whose rented house was in the forbidden area.

"The government sent food and drinking water. What

we're concerned about is our properties," said Zhu, who moved to the village for

work two years ago.

Initial investigation indicated that the sinking was

caused by piling work at a private home building project, which hit an

underground limestone cave and thus disrupted the subsoil, according to Sun

Guangmang, vice head of Guangzhou Institute of Geological Survey.

Further sinking could not be ruled out so far, said Sun. Experts were studying the case and results are expected to come out as early as Sunday.

Photo taken on Dec. 20, 2008 shows the sinking conditions of Xiamao Village in Baiyun District of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province. Nearly 400 villagers were evacuated after a serious ground cave-in affected 73 buildings in south China's Guangdong Province, local officials said Saturday.(Chinese media/Liu Dawei)
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