On the afternoon of August 1st, during the construction of the subway in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, a large area of subsidence occurred on the road near Hohu Avenue in Jiang’an District of the city. A video circulated on the internet showed a major collapse at a street intersection in Wuhan, with the collapse forming an elliptical shape. The barrier gate of a nearby parking lot was already leaning, and the collapse was not far from nearby buildings, with construction barriers nearby, indicating possible ongoing construction work.
According to a merchant about a hundred meters away from the collapse site, the collapse occurred around two to three o’clock in the afternoon. The merchant mentioned that they didn’t feel much when the collapse happened, estimating the area of collapse to be over 2,000 square meters. After the collapse, construction vehicles arrived at the scene. The merchant mentioned that their shop might have to close for a couple of days as notified by the police.
Duty staff from Tazi Lake Street Office stated that the collapse area was quite large, possibly caused by nearby subway construction. Another staff member mentioned, “There is construction of Wuhan Metro Line 12 near the collapse site.”
Reportedly, the road collapse led to speed restrictions on the Han Ten High-speed Rail passing through that section, affecting trains entering and leaving Hankou Railway Station.
After the incident, Wuhan Metro Group reported that around 14:30 on August 1st, a water and sand surge occurred during the construction of Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12 between Jiang’an District and Shizhong District, causing road subsidence at the intersection of Wenbo Road and Hohu Avenue (approximately 20 meters long and 15 meters wide), with no casualties or vehicle damage reported on-site.
During an interview by a Shenzhen “Dut News” reporter at Tazi Lake Street Office inquiring about the cause of the collapse, staff members questioned the reporter, asking, “Do you think this is something that can be reported at will? This kind of incident is not something you can report as you please.”
The staff member further asked, “Why is the Shenzhen press reporting on Wuhan’s matters?”
The incident sparked discussions among netizens, with some expressing concerns about the quality of the construction project, potential corruption, and restrictions on local reporting. Some criticized the lack of media coverage at the scene within four hours of the incident, questioning the transparency and accountability in such situations.
People pointed out the prevalence of such attitudes in institutions across the country, implying a culture of concealment and fear of repercussions for revealing the truth. The discussions revealed a significant divide in perspectives between the bureaucratic system and ordinary citizens.