Two injured after Seoul sinkhole swallows SUV as 8ft-deep hole opens unexpectedly in city centre

The incident occurred in the central part of the city, where an 8-foot-deep hole unexpectedly appeared on a street, engulfing a white sport utility vehicle. Photos from the scene show the SUV almost completely submerged in the sinkhole.

Emergency crews quickly arrived and managed to rescue the vehicle’s occupants - an 82-year-old man who was driving and a 76-year-old female passenger. No other injuries were reported, according to Seoul’s Seodaemun District Fire Station, which responded to the scene. The condition of the two injured individuals remains unknown at this time.

Traffic restrictions remained in place in the Seodaemun area as of Thursday evening while workers and officials continued to repair the damaged road and investigate the cause of the sinkhole.

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport had previously informed legislators that at least 879 sinkholes had been reported across the country from 2019 to June 2023, with nearly half attributed to damaged sewer pipes.

In a related incident last week, a 48-year-old tourist from India went missing in Malaysia’s capital after a pavement suddenly gave way beneath her, plunging her into a 26-foot-deep sinkhole. Authorities suspect she may have been swept away by an underground water current, and search operations are ongoing to locate her.