SINKING FEELING
From North Yorkshire to Japan – six dramatic sinkholes from across the globe
SINKHOLES can appear in the most unusual locations across the globe - causing destruction in their wake.
The large holes which suddenly open up in the ground can cause homes and cars to disappear - here are six of the most dramatic sinkholes.
6
San Antonio, USA
An off-duty sheriff's deputy died and others were injured when two vehicles plunged into a water-filled sinkhole which appeared in San Antonio in Texas in December 2016.
Authorities confirmed the sinkhole appeared after a sewer line ruptured during heavy rain.
6
Fukuoka, Japan
A massive sinkhole appeared at a road junction in Fukuoka, southern Japan in November 2016.
Parts of a main street collapsed in the city which created a huge sinkhole. As a result power, water and gas supplies to parts of the city were cut off.
Miraculously the sinkhole was repaired in just one week after Japanese workers toiled 24/7.
6
Ripon, North Yorkshire
A sink hole "with an unknown depth" appeared in a garden in Ripon, North Yorkshire. in November 2016.
Emergency crews were called to the 66ft (20m) wide hole in Magdalen's Road.
Ben Bramley, 43, and his wife Adelle Richardson, 40, discovered the sinkhole after hearing a loud noise and were forced to flee their home.
6
Samara, Russia
Two cars got sucked into a giant sinkhole filled with boiling water in Samara in Russia in October 2016.
Massive pipes containing hot water from a central heating system burst underneath a road, causing a massive 15 metre sinkhole to open up.
Hot steam could be seen rising out of the sinkhole as tarmac and the two cars fell inside.
6
Ottawa, Canada
Water can be seen in a large sinkhole that formed near a mall in Ottawa, Canada in June 2016.
The mall and buildings around a major intersection near Parliament were evacuated as a result with reports a van drove into the sinkhole
6
St Albans
Four families were forced out of their homes after a 33ft deep massive sinkhole opened up in St Albans, UK, in October 2015.
Following the collapse in the early hours, families in more than 50 homes were left without power, water or sanitation before temporary solutions were provided for the majority.
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