Truck driver survives fall into 40ft sinkhole which caused evacuation
This is the shocking moment a lorry driver fell into a 40ft mystery sinkhole in Italy.
The driver, 57, was rescued by firefighters in Naples and rushed to hospital on Monday.
At least 15 local residents were urged to leave their homes as a safety precaution after a gas pipe leaked when the sinkhole emerged.
The sinkhole measures around 26 feet wide and 40 feet deep, according to local reports, which described its formation as an “earthquake-like roar”.
The road has since been closed and cordoned off.
Vigili del Fuoco, the Naples Fire Brigade posted photos of the incident on Facebook and said that “a large chasm has affected the space in front of the Basilica of San Mauro in Largo San Mauro.
“The road has been closed to traffic. A small garbage truck collapsed into the cavity.
“The driver, a 57-year-old, was slightly injured. Some colleagues helped him to save his life.
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“The Carabinieri and the firefighters of Naples and Afragola intervened on the spot.”
Water and electricity have also been cut off from the Casoria area in the southern region of Naples.
Italian newspaper Il Messaggero described the sinkhole’s appearance as an “an earthquake” and said there was a pungent smell of gas in the region.
Mayor of Casoria, Raffaele Bene, said: “It was the sinkhole that caused the pipe to break, and not a gas leak which triggered the [road] collapse.”
Police and rescuers are carrying out investigations on the incident.
The cause of the sinkhole is still unknown.
Sinkholes are formed when the ground gets eroded due to a multitude of natural factors including human activity.
They mainly occur on land made out of soluble rock, such as limestone, which is easily dissolved by water.
Over time, the exposed rock gradually wears down and forms cracks under the surface.
The rock beneath is no longer able to carry the weight of the soil sediments on top, causing it to collapse several feet into the ground.
