SOUTH KOREA: A 20-meter-wide sinkhole suddenly opened on a road in Seoul’s Gangdong District on 24 March, near an elementary school.
The collapse occurred around 6:29 pm, affecting four of six lanes.
A 48-year-old woman driving through the area just before the road gave way, sustained injuries and was hospitalised.
Meanwhile, a motorcyclist fell into the sinkhole and was reported missing, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
During an overnight search operation, rescuers discovered the motorcyclist’s mobile phone at around 1:37 am, followed by his motorcycle approximately two hours later, buried 30 meters underground.
After approximately 17 hours of search efforts, the man in his 30s was finally located about 50 meters beneath the center of the sinkhole.
An official from Gangdong Fire Station confirmed at 1 pm on 25 March that the motorcyclist was found in a state of cardiac arrest at around 11:22 am, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily.
Later, The Associated Press reported that the man was found dead.
South Korean authorities suspect that a ruptured water main may have contributed to the collapse.
A local gas station owner had observed minor damage to a manhole adjacent to the road at around 10 am and reported it to district authorities by 10:30 am.
Emergency repair work took place between 1:30 pm and 2 pm, with additional repairs completed at 3 pm.
However, according to reports from Chosun Biz, the sinkhole formed just an hour to an hour and a half after the repairs were completed.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has urged immediate safety measures to prevent further incidents, emphasizing that the sinkhole continues to expand.
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