A huge sinkhole created by unstable road paving has given way in south-western China. The incident took place just after midnight outside a shopping mall in Yibin, Sichuan, which is home to 5.5 million residents. 21 cars were swallowed by the gaping hole in the process.
Shocking footage below captures cars descending into the the gargantuan sinkhole, which extended to over 500 square metres of road. Following the immediate dispatch of rescuers to the scene, local authorities confirmed in an official statement that no injuries were sustained. Rescue teams are now working to lift cars out from the wreckage.
According to China’s state news broadcaster CCTV, experts had deemed the road safe and structurally integral for use by both residents and vehicles. The cause of the incident is still under investigation, though it is thought that the high levels of rainfall this month may have contributed to the cause.
This incident, coupled with the torrential levels of rainfall, have caused local authorities in Sichuan to raise the level of its emergency response to a maximum level.
The ensuing flooding and accidents from the weather is proving costly. According to state reports, this has totalled to 25 billion yen in damages. The human cost is irreparable too, with over 200 left dead or missing.
It is another sign, one might suggest, of ensuing wrath of global warming. With the authorities battling to recover the infrastructure, this accident in Yibin serves as another stark reminder to the growing impacts of climate change.
