Sinkhole swallows vehicle after appearing in street near central Los Angeles
Officials believe a steady stream of water from a broken fire hydrant may be the cause.
A sinkhole has opened in a street near central Los Angeles, swallowing a portion of a driveway and a vehicle along the way.
The hole caused damage to a part of a street in Downey in south-east Los Angeles County, on Saturday evening, after the vehicle crashed into a power pole and fire hydrant, reported CBS Los Angeles.
Firefighters managed to turn off the water and officials believe the steady stream may have opened up the sinkhole.
The damage left residents without electricity, with one woman telling CBS they were “very lonely because we can’t use TV or our cell, we cannot use our landline telephone. Everything is off”.
Power was later restored in the neighbourhood while specialist crews continue to work on the sinkhole.
A sinkhole is basically a hole in the ground caused by erosion and the drainage of water, and can range from anything from a few feet to several kilometres in size.
They occur where a thin covering of loose material such as sand, clay or soil covers the soluble rocks beneath that dissolve in water.
Some are a result of natural processes while others are triggered by human activity.
According to the British Geological Society, leaking drainage pipes, burst water mains, irrigation or even the act of emptying a swimming pool are all documented examples of sinkhole triggers.
There are mainly two types of sinkholes: cover-subsidence sinkholes – which are created gradually over time, and cover-collapse sinkholes – those that appear suddenly.
The holes are usually filled with soil that has a high amount of clay and low amount of sand.
Gravel is generally not used as it allows water to trickle through the gaps which could create an even deeper cavity underneath.
