Sinkhole swallows SUV in Seoul, injuring 2 occupants in South Korean capital

Photo : AP

In Seoul, South Korea, a sinkhole emerged abruptly on Thursday, swallowing an SUV and injuring its two occupants, according to emergency services. The incident occurred around 11:20 a.m. local time (10:20 p.m. Eastern, Wednesday) in the central Seodaemun district. Emergency workers were able to rescue the 82-year-old male driver and a 76-year-old female passenger from the eight-foot-deep hole that had opened up in the roadway. No other injuries were reported.

Photos from the scene depicted the white SUV completely engulfed by the sinkhole. The conditions of the rescued individuals were not immediately disclosed. Traffic in the affected Seodaemun area remained restricted throughout Thursday evening as repair work on the damaged road continued and officials investigated the cause of the sinkhole.

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Ju Isaac, a local councillor for Seodaemun, recounted that he had driven past the location just moments before the sinkhole formed. He noticed that vehicles were bouncing over the section of road that appeared to be softening.

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport reported last year that the country had experienced at least 879 sinkholes from 2019 to June 2023. Nearly half of these sinkholes were attributed to damaged sewer pipes.

This incident follows a similar event in Malaysia, where a 48-year-old Indian tourist disappeared when pavement collapsed into a 26-foot-deep sinkhole last week. Officials believe she may have been carried away by an underground water current.