Sinkhole in Taipei's Shilin District filled, area under close monitoring

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) A sinkhole that appeared at the intersection of Wenlin Road and Meilun Street in Taipei's Shilin District on Saturday has been filled, and the affected road has reopened to traffic, the city government said on Sunday.

The city's New Construction Office said that inspection and repair work on the sinkhole -- which measured approximately 1 meter long, 1 meter wide, and 20 centimeters deep -- began soon after members of the public reported the cave-in Saturday afternoon.

Inspectors excavated the hole to a depth of about 1.6 meters, where they found the underlying soil was dry, with no signs of water seepage or leaks. Inspections by various pipeline units also revealed no abnormalities, the office said.

Ground-penetrating radar scans of the surrounding area confirmed their findings, the office added, noting that the road was refilled and reopened to traffic before midnight.

The authorities will continue to monitor and assess the condition of the road to further investigate the cause, the office said.

Taipei police said on Saturday that they received a report of the sinkhole at around 4 p.m., with witnesses indicating it was continuing to expand.

Upon arrival, police cordoned off the area and expanded traffic control measures, prohibiting both cars and motorcycles from entering Meilun Street in both directions (from Wenlin Road to Lane 62, Meilun Street) for safety reasons.