Huge sinkhole in Seoul, South Korea traps SUV and motorcycle - man found dead (UPDATE)

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/
Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:12 UTC

© YONHAP

Emergency responders conduct a rescue operation at an intersection near Daemyung Elementary School in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, after a sinkhole appears on March 24.

A large sinkhole formed at an intersection in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, on Monday resulted in one injured person.

A Kia Carnival SUV was caught in the sinkhole, which was 20 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep, while a motorcycle also fell in.

According to the Gangdong Fire Department, the sinkhole appeared around 6:29 p.m. near at an elementary school in Myeongil-dong. The hole, spanning 4.5 lanes, trapped the SUV.

The SUV driver sustained non-life-threatening injured and was transported to a hospital.

Emergency workers said that witnesses reported that a motorcycle also fell into the sinkhole.

Authorities are determining the full extent of the damage.

Firefighters responded to a passerby's report around 6:43 p.m. that both a car and a motorcycle had fallen into the hole. Fire authorities issued a warning after noting that the sinkhole's size was expanding.

Police and fire officials are investigating the cause, suspecting that a ruptured water main may have contributed to the collapse.

Lee Cheong-hee, 65, who operates a nearby gas station, said that a small manhole occurred near earlier in the morning.

He reported the incident at around 11 a.m., and the district office conducted emergency repairs. Lee mentioned that cracks had appeared on the floor of his gas station since the end of February, prompting him to file a complaint. The gas station was closed immediately after the sinkhole appeared.

Since the incident, the district closed lanes in both directions of the affected road. The district office sent out safety notices urging drivers to check traffic information and use alternative routes.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

Comment: Update March 25

The BBC reports:

A man who fell into a large sinkhole in South Korea's capital Seoul has been found dead, according to the local fire department.

The man was riding his motorbike in the Gangdong district when the road caved in at about 18:30 local time (09:30 GMT) on Monday.

Rescuers found his body underground on Tuesday morning around 11:00 local time, about 50m (164ft) from where he had fallen in.

A car driver was also injured in the incident, which has gone viral on South Korean social media.

A dashcam video widely circulating online appears to show the moment the road caved in near a traffic junction. It shows the motorcyclist falling into the hole, while a car travelling in front of him narrowly escapes it.

Earlier on Tuesday, rescuers found a mobile phone and the motorcycle in the hole which is 20m wide and 20m deep, according to local media.

The man, said to be in his 30s, has yet to be named by authorities.

Kim Chang-seop, head of Gangdong fire station said at an earlier briefing that there were 2,000 tons of soil and water mixed inside the hole.

Authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the sinkhole.

A report recently submitted to the Seoul city government showed that 223 sinkholes occurred in the city in the past decade.