Seoul Sinkhole Swallows SUV, Injures Two

In Seoul, a sudden sinkhole swallowed an SUV, injuring two occupants. The sinkhole incident occurred at around 11:20 am in Seodaemun district. Emergency workers rescued the injured, aged 82 and 76. Traffic remains restricted as officials repair the damaged road. Nearly half of South Korea's sinkholes are caused by damaged sewer pipes.

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-metre-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 am (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.

(With inputs from agencies.)