Sinkhole Swallows Entire Building In China [Video]
Chinese state media has released shocking footage of a sinkhole swallowing an entire building complex in Guangdong province.
The video embedded below is nothing short of startling. Several residents look on in horror as the ground literally opens up and swallows a handful of multistory buildings. According to Discovery News, the first building reportedly fell in the morning while the other three toppled later that afternoon.
Fortunately for those who call this section of southern China home, nobody was hurt when the buildings collapsed. However, nearly 300 people had to be evacuated from the area as a precaution.
MSN explains the sinkhole was likely the result of underground construction work currently taking place in the region. Officials believe the creation of a subway line had compromised the integrity of the ground beneath the buildings, which ultimately caused them to collapse. Authorities were able to inform others of the problem before the situation turned ugly.
Oddly enough, sinkholes have been popping up all over the place in the past few days. According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, a sinkhole swallowed an entire tree and part of a fence in Florida on January 24. Although the hole managed to take a few items down with it, a scientist with the agricultural department said he has definitely “seen bigger.”
The sudden appearance of a small sinkhole closed one lane of traffic in Hollywood over the weekend. Although the hole caused a slight hiccup in traffic, workers were soon called out to address and repair the problem. The Sun-Sentinel reports that officials couldn’t say for sure what caused the problem.
Video of the sinkhole in China has been embedded below.
Although officials in China seem to be pointing the finger of blame directly at the subway tunnel, an investigation into what caused the sinkhole to appear is currently underway.
