Sinkholes around the world – in pictures

A vehicle is seen in a sinkhole on a street in Seoul, South Korea, on 29 August 2024.

A giant sinkhole caused by the rains of a tropical storm is seen in Guatemala City on 1 June 2010.

A car was partially swallowed by a sinkhole in Woodland Terrace in Greenwich, south-east London. in May 2016.

An aerial view of a farmer planting grain with a tractor near sinkholes in a field in Karapinar district of Konya, Turkey, on November 14, 2024. Over the years, 8 sinkholes with depths of more than 10 meters and diameters of up to 50 meters have appeared in the field.

Two cars in a large sinkhole that opened during a day of relentless rain on January 10, 2023 in the Chatsworth neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California.

A drone view of a sinkhole in a soccer field at Gordon Moore Park in Alton, Illinois on June 27, 2024.

A sinkhole covers a street junction in central Guatemala City on May 31, 2010. Authorities investigated whether heavy rains caused by a tropical storm had caused a three-story building to collapse into a crater.

A large sinkhole cut off a road in central Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on 8 November 2016.

A car is perched on the edge of the sinkhole that opened up in a road in Nanjing, Guangxi Province, China, on 1 August 2013.

A 20 metre sinkhole opened up on a residential street in St Albans, UK, on 1 October 2015, forcing the evacuation of families in the area.

An aerial view of a large sink hole thatappeared in a field by Shardeloes Lake, in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, UK. The hole, around six meters wide and five meters deep, occurred above a section of tunnelling for a high speed rail link.

A giant sinkhole, 150 metres deep and 20 metres wide, in San Antonio in Guatemala City, on 23 February 2007.

Council officers and police observe a sinkhole outside a house at Nant Morlais, Pant, Wales.