A man was killed in Shenzhen City in Guangdong Province on Wednesday 27 March 2013, when a huge sinkhole opened up in a pavement in a residential area, swallowing him whole. Twenty-five-year-old security guard Yang Jiabin was swallowed instantly when the hole, described as eight meters wide and sixteen meters deep, opened up beneath him. He was pulled from the hole by rescuers, but died later in hospital.
Sinkhole in Shenzhen City which opened up on 27 March 2013. Guardian.
Sinkholes are generally caused by water eroding soft limestone or unconsolidated deposits from beneath, causing a hole that works its way upwards and eventually opening spectacularly at the surface. This particular one appears to have been formed when drainage pipes beneath the surface burst and washed away deposits. The area has been suffering heavy rainfall, which may have caused the pipes to overload, or they may have been damaged by work on a construction site adjacent to the affected pavement. Local authorities have launched an investigation.
See also Florida man swallowed by sinkhole in home, A fossil Bird from the Eocene of Guangdong Province, China and Massive sinkhole opens up in Assumption Parish, Louisiana.
Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.