SUV Swallowed by Sinkhole in Seoul

A sudden sinkhole opened on a busy road in Seoul's Seodaemun district on Thursday, swallowing a white SUV and injuring its two elderly occupants, an 82-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman. The incident, which occurred around 11:20 a.m., resulted in severe traffic disruptions as emergency workers rescued the victims and transported them to a nearby hospital. No other injuries were reported, and the area remains cordoned off while authorities investigate the cause of the sinkhole, which is part of a troubling trend in South Korea where approximately 879 sinkholes have been reported since 2019, largely attributed to damaged sewer pipes. This incident follows a related event in Kuala Lumpur where a 48-year-old Indian tourist fell into a deep sinkhole, raising concerns about infrastructure safety. The ongoing investigations aim to prevent future occurrences of such dangerous incidents.