Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Video Credit: AsiaWire

This footage shows two vehicles lost to a large 9-foot-deep sinkhole after they were ‘swallowed’ by the road as it collapsed beneath them.

The incident happened in the district of Lishi in Lvliang, a city in China’s northern province of Shanxi, at approximately 7:40am local time on 10th September.

According to one of the owners, Mr Guo, neither vehicle was occupied at the time of the accident, which created an elongated sinkhole measuring over 850 square feet in size.

Pictures Credit:AsiaWire

Images taken in the aftermath show the two parked cars at the bottom of the hole on Fengshandi 3rd Alley – a busy thoroughfare – while rainwater gushing out of a storm drain and pipe.

In one image, large cracks can also be seen running along the asphalt where the sinkhole has formed.

Local authorities including traffic police and officials from the Emergency Management Office said they had cordoned off the area, and that no one was injured.

Reports said heavy rains were suspected of causing the sinkhole, with one of the underground water pipes thought to have burst and washed the ground away.

It is unclear when and how the two damaged vehicles were freed from the sinkhole, and whether the city would be compensating the owners for the incident.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.