Traffic partially resumed on Monday on a section of road in eastern Beijing affected by a collapse last week.

No casualties were reported in the accident, which took place near a construction site for an underground pedestrian tunnel.

The two western-most lanes of the north-south road near Dawang Bridge were still fenced off on Monday, however, an official in charge of emergency repairs said workers still needed to repair the underground infrastructure destroyed in the cave-in last Thursday.

The official declined to give a schedule for completion of work.

Municipal traffic authorities instructed 13 public bus operators to detour around the area while repair work continued.

A sinkhole with an area of about 30 sq m opened on West Dawang Road around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday. The collapse snarled traffic and snapped electrical and optical cable lines.

It also ruptured a water main, which left about 1,000 homes in the area without water. The municipal water conglomerate organized several tankers to provide water for those cut off.

An official from the water company said it expected the water supply in the affected area would resume on Monday.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency, December 3, 2007)