Watch: Sinkhole Swallows SUV – Newsweek

A sudden sinkhole opened up in the heart of South Korea’s capital on Thursday, swallowing an SUV and injuring its two occupants.

The dramatic incident unfolded at around 11:20 a.m. in the Seodaemun district of central Seoul.

Photos from the scene show the white SUV trapped in the sinkhole, which was approximately 2.5 meters (8 feet) deep.

Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and rescued the vehicle’s 82-year-old male driver and a 76-year-old female passenger, who suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene.

Her pulse later returned, according to national outlet JoongAng Ilbo. Both were taken to a nearby hospital. No pedestrian injuries were reported.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause.

As of Thursday evening, traffic in the Seodaemun area remained restricted as workers and officials worked to repair the damaged road and investigate the cause of the sinkhole.

Recent decades have revealed sinkholes to be a growing threat to urban environments, especially in densely populated areas like Seoul.

According to South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, at least 879 sinkholes were reported across the country between 2019 and June 2023.

Nearly half these incidents were attributed to damaged sewer pipes, pointing to underlying issues with the nation’s infrastructure.

South Korea’s rapid urbanization and development over the past few decades has placed significant stress on its road and building networks.

The country faces the dual challenge of maintaining its existing infrastructure while planning for future development.

One of the most problematic in recent years occurred in February 2014, when a large sinkhole opened near a construction site in the busy district of Songpa, Seoul.

Businesses and locals were left alarmed due to the hole’s dangerously proximity to several residential buildings.

In August 2015, another sinkhole swallowed a portion of a sidewalk near the Yongsan district’s popular I’Park Mall. That same year, a larger one appeared on a major road in Gwangju, leading to a temporary closure of the area.

This incident is part of a broader global pattern, even emerging cities where these incidents are rare, like Kuala Lumpur.

Just last week, a 48-year-old tourist from India disappeared in the Malaysian capital when the pavement collapsed beneath her, causing her to fall into an eight-meter-deep (26-foot-deep) sinkhole.

Initial reports suggest that heavy rains and underground water erosion may have contributed to the weakening of the pavement.

Officials said that she may have been swept away by an underground water current.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press