2.5-meter deep sinkhole swallows car in Seoul, injuring 2

A car fell into a 2.5-meter deep sinkhole that suddenly appeared in the middle of a road in Seoul on Thursday, injuring two passengers aboard, authorities said, Yonhap reports. 

At around 11:25 a.m., the sinkhole abruptly appeared on a road in Seodaemun district in western Seoul, according to the police and the fire agency. The sinkhole was six meters in width, four meters in length and 2.5 meters in depth.

The sinkhole swallowed a car that was driving across the spot, severely injuring the 82-year-old male driver and 79-year-old female passenger.

They were taken to a nearby hospital, with the woman having regained consciousness through cardiopulmonary resuscitation, according to the authorities.

The authorities said there was no damage to a gas pipe that was located just beneath the sinkhole.

The Seoul city government reportedly examined the road through ground penetrating radar in May but had not found any signs of a sinkhole.

"We are excavating the road to check if there are any problems with the underground facilities and investigating whether activities at large construction sites nearby had any effect or recent heavy rains washed out the soil in the area," an official at the city government said.

Experts also said soil erosion from rain or a problem related to an underground facility could be potential causes for the accident.