chicago sinkhole
© Chicago Sun Times
  • A pickup fell into a sinkhole in Chicago's South Side area about 8pm on Thursday night
  • One person was trapped inside the vehicle
  • Officials believe a broken water main cause the hole to form
  • It is the second sinkhole to form in the area in two weeks
A broken water main is the suspected cause of a sinkhole that formed in Chicago on Thanksgiving, swallowing a truck and trapping one person inside.

Firefighters had to work to extricate the person after the pickup fell into the hole in the 9500 block of South Commercial Avenue.Police say they received a call for help at 8.06pm.

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© WGN TV
Two people in the vehicle at the time, however one was able to break free, according to the Chicago Sun Times. The hole was said to be about four-feet deep. The truck was wedged below its hood.

Traffic in the area was being rerouted as 95th Street was closed in both directions, police said.Authorities say there were no injuries and the people inside the car did not need to hospitalized.

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© Chicago Sun Times
Chicago's Department of Transportation is investigating the cause, however it is believed a break in a water main was the reason for the road to collapse.

The accident comes two weeks after a 14-foot-deep sinkhole opened up in a nearby residential area.

A leak in the water line was also blamed. Naturally occurring sinkholes form when acidic groundwater eats at underground limestone, creating a cave in the rock.

Over the course of three days, the sinkhole grew to about 20 feet by 80 feet.No one was injured, but the streets and basements were flooded with water.