Large sinkhole in Seoul claims life of motorcyclist who fell into it

A motorcyclist who fell into a massive sinkhole that opened on a Seoul street was found dead after around 17 hours, officials said Tuesday.

The roughly 20-metre-wide, the 20-metre-deep sinkhole appeared at an interception in the Myeongil-dong neighbourhood in eastern Seoul on Monday afternoon, swallowing the motorcyclist and injuring a woman whose van was passing over the site, according to safety and emergency offices.

The motorcyclist, who was in his 30s, before noon on Tuesday, emergency officer Kim Chang-sup told a televised briefing. Kim said the man was found wearing a helmet and motorcycle boots, and that rescue workers found his Japanese-made motorcycle and mobile phone before reaching his body. He said rescuers used excavators, shovels and other equipment to find him.

Kim said the injured woman didn’t fall into the sinkhole and she sustained minor injuries.

The cause of the sinkhole was under investigation.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the site on Monday night and asked authorities to find why the sinkhole happened and prevent recurrences of similar incidents.