Huge opening

Hole in the ground swallowed two cars and a tree in Naples

(Bild: Vigili del Fuoco)

Early on Wednesday morning, the ground suddenly opened up on a street in Naples: a huge hole in the ground opened up, swallowing two cars and a tree - one of the vehicles even while driving. An adjacent residential building had to be evacuated.

The dramatic incident occurred at around 5 a.m. in the Vomero district - on one of the busiest corners in Naples, even in the early hours of the morning. At the time, a car with two young people on board was on the road - although they were swallowed up by the sinkhole and plunged into the depths, the two escaped almost unharmed.

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Water leak caused risky situation
"It's a miracle, it could have been much worse," reported one of the occupants, who only survived the accident with a few scratches. "A pipe was broken, we could have been flooded by the water," the victim was quoted as saying by TV station Sky TG24. With the help of three soldiers and a passer-by, the young men were finally freed from their predicament. The helpers climbed into the hole in the ground and pulled the casualties out of the wreckage. 

"Initial checks show that the sewer has collapsed," the municipality announced after the incident. The first floor of a neighboring building was flooded and the house was eventually evacuated. The water supply had to be turned off in the area. A school located near the sinkhole was closed as a precautionary measure.

An investigation was launched to find out what had caused the sinkhole to form. The Neapolitan public prosecutor's office is initiating proceedings into the incident.