A road collapse occurred on an uphill lane on a national highway in Changzhi of Shanxi province on Wednesday, resulting in a chain collision involving four vehicles and the deaths of two people, according to local highway management authorities on Sunday.

The collapsed pit on a section of the National Highway 309 in Lucheng district of Changzhi measured 2.9 meters in length, 2.9 meters in width and 1 meter in depth, according to on-site investigations.

Following the accident, local highway management authorities, along with medical, traffic management and emergency response departments, promptly rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations and emergency response measures.

The section was initially constructed in 1987. The road surface was last overlaid in 2020.

Preliminary investigations by experts indicated that the collapse was caused by surface water infiltration, groundwater seepage and erosion, resulting in the formation of a cavity in the roadbed and leading to the sudden collapse.

Further investigations into the collapse and the causes of the accident are ongoing, with cleanup and recovery efforts underway.