Another road crack near sinkhole detected, road controls underway

Another road subsidence was found Friday morning near the area where a sinkhole in western Seoul had occurred the previous day, swallowing an entire car and injuring two people, with one in critical condition.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's road division and police have controlled two nearby lanes since 8:30 a.m. Friday in Seongsan-ro, which runs from Yonsei University to Sacheon Bridge, about 30 meters from the spot where the accident occurred.

“We are working with experts to determine the cause,” said a district official, adding that they monitored the road overnight and discovered the road subsidence while patrolling in the morning.

On Thursday at 11:26 a.m., a vehicle carrying a driver and a passenger rolled over sideways, crashing into a sinkhole 6 meters wide, 4 meters long and 2.5 meters deep, on Seongsan-ro in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, northwestern Seoul.

The driver of the vehicle, a man in his 80s, was seriously injured and taken to the hospital. A woman in her 70s who was a passenger in the car went into cardiac arrest. She was administered CPR and taken to the hospital, where she is now reportedly conscious.

The sinkhole caused severe traffic congestion. Further investigation is underway to determine its exact cause.