Tragic Death in Seoul: Motorcyclist Found in Sinkhole

Rescue teams recovered the man's body approximately 50 meters from the site of the incident, bringing attention to the rise in sinkhole occurrences attributed to poor infrastructure management.

A man in his 30s has been confirmed dead after being swallowed by a 20-meter-wide sinkhole in Seoul's Gangdong district. The incident occurred around 18:30 local time (09:30 GMT) on a Monday evening when the man, riding his motorcycle, fell into the road's sudden collapse. Emergency services located his body early Tuesday, roughly 50 meters away from where he initially disappeared. A nearby car narrowly avoided the fall, as evident from widely circulated dashcam footage capturing the event.

Local firefighters reported discovering the man’s mobile phone and motorcycle within the sinkhole, now estimated to be 20 meters deep and filled with around 2,000 tons of mixed soil and water. The victim remains unnamed at this time, as authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the sinkhole.

Recent reports shared with the Seoul city government reveal that approximately 223 sinkholes have emerged in the city over the last decade, often linked to inadequate infrastructure upkeep, aging pipelines, prolonged land subsidence, and challenges stemming from excavation activities. Past cases of sinkholes in other cities, like a truck driver going missing in Yashio, Japan, and a woman disappearing in Kuala Lumpur, raise broader concerns regarding public safety and urban planning.

Sinkholes typically form when soluble rocks such as limestone erode over time, leading to sudden surface collapses, often compounded by human activities that disturb the ground.

The incident serves as a tragic reminder for continued attention to urban infrastructure to prevent future incidents and ensure the safety of residents.