844 evacuated after land sinks in southern China

BEIJING – More than 800 villagers have been evacuated after land sank in southern China's Guangxi province, which is known for its karst topography.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday that the land subsidence occurred near a middle school in Nanning city's Xixiangtang district after the school dug a well to ease a water shortage.

Xinhua says the sink hole is 1.5 meters (5 feet) deep and 2.5 meters (8 feet) wide and has caused one building to collapse, six to tilt and another to crack.

There were no reports of injuries, but 844 villagers were evacuated.

Sinkholes and land cracks have been common in China in recent years, partly because of intense construction and mining activities coupled with insufficient geological regulation.