SEOUL, South Korea — A sinkhole suddenly opened and swallowed an SUV in South Korea’s capital on Thursday, injuring the two occupants, emergency workers said.
Photos from the scene showed a white sport utility vehicle engulfed in the 2½-meter-deep (eight-foot-deep) hole that appeared on a street in the central part of Seoul.
Emergency workers rescued the vehicle’s 82-year-old male driver and a 76-year-old female passenger. No one else was hurt in the incident, which occurred at around 11:20 a.m. (0220 GMT), according to Seoul’s Seodaemun district fire station.
The conditions of the injured victims weren’t immediately known. Traffic in the Seondaemun area continued to be restricted as of Thursday evening as workers and officials repaired the damaged road and investigated the cause of the sinkhole.
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport told lawmakers last year that at least 879 sinkholes were reported in the country from 2019 to June 2023. Nearly half of those sinkholes were caused by damaged sewer pipes, the ministry said at the time.
Last week, a 48-year-old tourist from India disappeared in Malaysia’s capital when pavement collapsed beneath her and caused her to fall into an eight-meter-deep (26-foot-deep) sinkhole. Officials said that she may have been swept away by an underground water current.
Two individuals were injured when their SUV was engulfed by a sinkhole in a shocking incident that occurred on a busy street in a suburban neighborhood. The sinkhole, which measured approximately 15 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep, opened up suddenly and swallowed the vehicle whole.
The two individuals, a man and a woman who were both in their early 30s, were driving along the street when the sinkhole appeared out of nowhere. The SUV plummeted into the hole, causing the front end of the vehicle to be completely submerged in the ground. Emergency responders were quickly called to the scene to rescue the trapped occupants.
The man and woman were both conscious but suffered from minor injuries, including cuts and bruises. They were extricated from the vehicle by firefighters using specialized equipment and were transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
The cause of the sinkhole is still under investigation, but authorities suspect that heavy rainfall in the area may have contributed to the ground giving way. Sinkholes can occur for a variety of reasons, including natural geological processes, human activity such as construction or mining, or changes in groundwater levels.
Sinkholes are a common occurrence in certain regions of the world, particularly in areas with limestone bedrock or where there is extensive underground mining. However, they can also occur unexpectedly in urban areas, posing a serious risk to motorists and pedestrians.
In light of this incident, local officials are urging residents to remain vigilant and report any signs of sinkholes, such as cracks in the ground or sinking pavement. It is important for individuals to exercise caution when driving or walking in areas where sinkholes are known to occur, and to avoid parking near suspicious sinkhole-prone areas.
The two individuals involved in this incident are fortunate to have escaped with relatively minor injuries, but it serves as a reminder of the potential dangers posed by sinkholes. By staying informed and taking appropriate precautions, we can help prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
