Watch: Massive sinkhole swallows car in Lahore. A close shave for trapped motorists

A massive sinkhole swallowed three vehicles in Lahore on Monday, injuring motorists and causing significant traffic disruptions in the Pakistani city.

A massive sinkhole swallowed three vehicles in Lahore on Monday, injuring motorists and causing significant traffic disruptions in Pakistan’s second-largest city. A viral video shows several people trapped inside the sinkhole that reportedly opened up because of a leakage in an underground sewer line.

A sinkhole swallowed three vehicles, including a car, in Lahore. (X/@ShirazHassan)

According to a report in Pakistani news website Geo News, one car and two motorcycles were pulled into the sinkhole that suddenly appeared on a main road in Johar Town, Lahore.

Footage that has been widely circulated on social media shows the car standing vertical in the cavity. The motorists trapped inside the sinkhole were rescued with the help of a wooden ladder.

Watch the video below:

A person involved in the rescue told Pakistan’s The Nation newspaper that two occupants of the car were injured when the road caved in. “The injured were taken to a hospital after being rescued by officials and locals,” a rescue official confirmed.

Annual sinkhole

Last year, too, a sinkhole had appeared at the same spot in Lahore. Three members of a family had been injured when their car fell into the sinkhole in 2023.

In fact, this is the fourth sinkhole to appear on the same road in Johar Town within the last few months.

The appearance of another sinkhole at the site led to anger against road authorities, with some social media referring to the phenomenon as “Lahore’s annual sinkhole.”

“The road has become extremely dangerous for motorists, as sinkholes can emerge at any time, putting lives at risk. Look at this incident – the car fell in, injuring the driver and his friend,” said a bystander to Dawn.

Lahore Development Authority (LDA) blamed an underground leakage of a sewer line for the sinkhole.