A giant sinkhole suddenly opened up in the city of Xining, Qinghai province in northwestern China, devouring a whole bus into the pit. Government officials said the sinkhole was about 860 square feet.
Elsewhere reports showed a team of rescuer lifting the bus from the abyss using a large crane. However, what transpired before that has been breaking the hearts of millions of people across the country.
CCTV footage showed the bus stopping at a station to pick up passengers when the sinkhole suddenly opened underneath it. The opening immediately ate the front of the vehicle as people fled from the scene.
There were those who were lucky that the sinkhole opened even before they board the bus. The same thing could not be said for the passengers already inside.
The most heartbreaking part of the story was about a man who was able to save a baby from the bus. After he brought the baby to safety, he went back to the bus to get other passengers into safety.
Just when he was pulling some passengers out of the bus, the sinkhole opened wider, bringing everyone into the pit. Hopes were initially gone as there was a sound of an explosion inside the sinkhole, perhaps the bus hitting the ground inside. There was also a thick plume of ashes.
Rescue operations are still in place as of press time. Rescuers were able to save 16 people while a total of six individuals already died - including the man who saved the baby.
Sinkholes are not uncommon in China. Four people died in a sinkhole in 208 while five people were also killed in the same manners in 2013.
The sinkhole in Xining, Qinghai province arouses old argument on whether sinkholes naturally happened in the country or the incidents are caused by the rapid industrialization-taking place across China.
For instance, in December 2019, the local government lifted housing restrictions in urban residential sites where the population was previously limited to 3 million. Accordingly, the government implemented more relaxed housing policies for those planning to live in these urban areas. The lifting of housing restrictions was done to support the country's overall economic growth.
Elsewhere in the country's provinces, there is rapid industrial and commercial development to attract more talents to reside in the provinces. Constructions were at a remarkable rate in provinces such as Zhejiang Province, Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province, and Xi'an in Shaanxi.
