An eight-story building on Zhongshan Road S. tilted due to surface subsidence at 9 am yesterday, and houses adjoining the structure were crushed.

Officials said that the subsidence was caused by the construction of a metro - Rail Transportation No 4 - in a nearby area. Water had infiltrated into a passageway and a huge quantity of quicksand was poured in beginning at 4 am after the subsidence became acute. However, because people in the building and houses were evacuated before the collapse, there were no casualties. Municipal government officials said that they are consulting construction experts to work out a solution.