About a week after a woman vanished into a sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur (KL), a sinkhole opened up along a roadside in Taiwan, damaging two motorcycles.
The area has been cordoned off by the authorities for the safety of road users.
Source: China Times 中時新聞網 on Facebook
The incident took place at about 9am on Saturday (31 Aug) morning in the city of Douliu, Yunlin county, reported the China Times.
As several vehicles and pedestrians passed by the busy Wenhua Road, a loud “boom” was heard.
The pavement outside a housing agency then caved in, shocking people at the agency, a nearby clinic and a breakfast diner opposite.
Two motorcycles parked there went down with the pavement.
Source: SET News 三立新聞 on Facebook
This caused them to sustain some damage.
Source: TVBS News on YouTube
A pipe also appeared to have ruptured, causing a spout of water to splash onto the depression.
Source: TVBS News on YouTube
Thankfully, no injuries were reported as nobody was in the affected area at the time.
Douliu City Office spokesman Sun Wangtian (transliterated from Mandarin) said the V-shaped sinkhole was about 7m long, 4m wide and 1.5m deep.
After the authorities were alerted, they closed off the affected area with construction cones to prevent people from falling in.
Source: TVBS
The collapsed portion of the pavement is a farmland water conservancy ditch that is covered by two layers of cement, he said.
Eyewitnesses speculated that the surface had been weakened by the recent hot weather coupled with bouts of thunderstorms.
Mr Sun confirmed that the collapse had also damaged water pipes under the surface.
Source: TVBS News on YouTube
The City Office and other relevant agencies would be conducting joint inspections and repairs, he said.
Safeguards would also be strengthened in the interest of public safety, he added.
The sinkhole in Taiwan is the fourth reported in Asia in about a week.
Just two days before on 29 Aug, a car fell into a sinkhole that opened up in a road in South Korea, leaving two people hospitalised with severe injuries.
And five days after the sinkhole in KL swallowed up a female tourist on 23 Aug, another sinkhole emerged just 50m away, prompting the whole road to be closed.
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Featured image adapted from China Times 中時新聞網 on Facebook and TVBS News on YouTube.
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