A dashcam captured the moment a massive sinkhole suddenly appeared on a South Korean road in Seoul, and a motorcyclist fell into it while another car narrowly escaped.
The giant sinkhole which measured 65 feet wide and 65 feet deep, happened at an intersection in the Gangdong district of Seoul, on Monday.
A video that covered the incident showed a motorcyclist moving on the road when the ground beneath suddenly caved it and he fell into it. A vehicle in front of it narrowly escaped when it fell but bumped up as it quickly rode on the collapsing surface of the road.
Video below:
The biker unfortunately died in the sinkhole. His body was retrieved from a subway 160 feet below the ground, after 18 hours that involved 40 rescue personnel first pumping out water from the sinkhole before digging through dirt.
The identity of the deceased biker was not released by the authorities, but his phone and other personal belongings were retrieved from the site. His age (33 years old) was only shared with the public.
The driver of the car that narrowly escaped was simply identified as Park. His vehicle was damaged and another bystander was also injured.
The now-viral sinkhole video ignited fears about the dangers that might be looking underground, especially in developed cities like South Korea. It was also noted that incidents of sinkholes are becoming frequent in South Asian countries.
Seoul’s Mayor, Oh Se-hoon, said the cause of the sudden sinkhole will be investigated to ensure such does not happen again.
Experts say incidences of sudden sinkholes occurring are likely as the man-made underground space ages and is further weakened by water.
