4-meter deep sinkhole injures 1 in central Seoul

A sinkhole opened up in Seoul's financial district of Yeouido on Wednesday morning, resulting in minor injuries to a nearby pedestrian, South Korean authorities said Wednesday.

A 4-meter-deep, 5-meter-wide sinkhole was found on a traffic island between IFC Mall and Parc 1 Tower in Yeouido, western Seoul at around 11 a.m., according to firefighters and ward officials.

While there were no casualties reported, one male pedestrian in his 30s was taken to the hospital with abrasions on his left thigh.

The Yeongdeungpo Ward office has cordoned off the area to prevent further accidents, and the sinkhole was temporarily filled at around 3 p.m. Roads near the traffic island were operating normally as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Yeongdeungpo Ward office plans to commence restoring the area affected by the sinkhole after further investigating what caused it.