2 injured after sinkhole swallows car in Seoul

Two people were injured in Seoul after a car they were travelling in was swallowed by a sinkhole which opened up on Thursday.

According to local media reports, a sinkhole emerged in the middle of a road in Seodaemun district, western Seoul.

The Korea Herald reported that the car, which had two people in it, “rolled over sideways crashing into the sinkhole”.

A woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s were injured and sent to the hospital, the report said.

The sinkhole caused severe traffic congestion, the newspaper added, with further investigations under way to determine the cause of the sinkhole.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, first responders have restricted access to the site.

The search for the missing tourist, identified as Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, entered its seventh day on Thursday. She disappeared after falling into a sinkhole that emerged on Jalan Masjid India in front of the Malayan Mansion.

Another sinkhole opened up in the same area on Wednesday, prompting Malaysian authorities to close off Jalan Masjid India.

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Indian tourist vanishes after being swallowed by 8-metre sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur

Pedestrians and traffic are not allowed on the 400 metre stretch of road in Kuala Lumpur, but footpaths remain open. The authorities did not indicate when the road would reopen.

Workers said that people are still largely avoiding the area, but Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said on Wednesday evening it was safe.

The authorities will, however, conduct an “integrity audit” of the sewerage system along Jalan Masjid India after a second sinkhole appeared on the road in a span of five days.