SEOUL: One person has been killed after a massive sinkhole opened up in Seoul, the fire department said Tuesday, with harrowing video footage showing the moment his vehicle was swallowed by the hole.
The vast hole opened up at an intersection in the southeast of the South Korean capital during the evening rush hour around 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
Dashcam footage shared with AFP by a local lawmaker shows the hole appearing abruptly in the middle of a busy street, with a motorbike being swallowed up instantly as a car narrowly escapes the same fate, sliding into the hole before somehow bouncing out.
The fire department conducted a major search, with rescue workers wearing wetsuits and “digging with their hands” alongside a rescue dog, in a frantic 17-hour hunt for the motorcyclist.
However, on Tuesday “the missing person who is in his thirties, was discovered in cardiac arrest, approximately 50 meters from the centerline of the sinkhole,” Kim Chang-seop, an official from the Gangdong Fire Station, told reporters.
“He was buried at a depth of approximately 90 centimeters (three feet) and was found intact, still wearing his helmet and motorcycle boots,” said Kim, adding they “regret that we are unable to deliver better news.”
The driver of the car suffered minor injuries.
The hole is now around 20 meters (66 feet) wide and 20 meters deep, the fire department said.
A handful of schools nearby closed on Tuesday citing safety concerns.
The cause of the sinkhole will be investigated, but the accident occurred at a site where extension work for a metro line was underway.
A Seoul city spokesperson told AFP it was clear the construction could have been one of “several possible contributing factors.”
“There were several factors at play. Once the surrounding soil and debris are cleared, we will conduct a full investigation into the cause of the accident with a team of experts,” the spokesperson said.
Sinkhole accidents are rare in South Korea, with fewer than 200 reported cases every year on average – significantly less than the number recorded in neighboring Japan.
Motorcyclist killed by giant Seoul sinkhole
https://arab.news/gbyuk
Motorcyclist killed by giant Seoul sinkhole
- Vast hole opened up at an intersection in the southeast of the Seoul during the evening rush hour
- Sinkhole accidents are rare in South Korea, with fewer than 200 reported cases every year on average
Starmer and Xi call for deeper UK-China ties as Trump shakes up global relations
- Neither Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor President Xi Jinping publicly mentioned Donald Trump
- But the US president’s challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds
BEIJING: The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a “strategic partnership” to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global turbulence as they sought to thaw relations after years of chill.
Neither Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor President Xi Jinping publicly mentioned Donald Trump, but the US president’s challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds.
“I think that working together on issues like climate change, global stability during challenging times for the world is precisely what we should be doing as we build this relationship in the way that I’ve described,” Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting in Beijing.
The two met for 80 minutes — double the scheduled time — in the Great Hall of the People as their nations try to improve relations after several years of acrimony. Relations have deteriorated over allegations of Chinese spying in Britain, China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the former British colony that was returned to China in 1997. Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit in eight years.
Xi said that “China-UK relations experienced twists and turns in previous years, which was not in the interests of either country.”
“In the current turbulent and ever-changing international situation ... China and the UK need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability,” he said.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Xi had stressed, without mentioning the US directly, that “major powers” must adhere to international law or the world would regress into a “jungle.”
Relationship is in ‘a good place’
Starmer’s Downing Street office said Britain wanted “a consistent, long-term, and strategic partnership that will benefit both countries.”
After the meeting, Starmer said the leaders had made “really good progress” on issues including slashing Chinese tariffs on Scotch whisky and introducing visa-free travel for British visitors.
“The relationship is in a good place, a strong place,” the British leader said.
Xi appeared to acknowledge the criticism that Starmer has faced for reaching out to China despite national security and human rights concerns. The UK recently approved controversial plans for a huge Chinese Embassy in London, removing a sticking point in relations but also overriding fears that the “mega-embassy” would make it easier for China to conduct espionage and intimidate dissidents.
“Good things often come with difficulties,” Xi said. “As long as it is the right thing to do in accordance with the fundamental interests of the country and its people, leaders will not shy away from difficulties and will forge ahead bravely.”
Starmer’s visit comes less than two months after a Hong Kong court convicted Jimmy Lai, a former newspaper publisher and British citizen, under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Starmer said he raised human rights issues with Xi and the two men had a “respectful discussion.”
Starmer, who was elected in July 2024, has said he will protect national security while keeping up diplomatic dialogue and economic cooperation with China. He told Xi that it has “been far too long” since a UK prime minister visited.
“I made a promise 18 months ago when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outward again,” the leader of the center-left Labour Party said. “Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, from prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.”
Starmer’s government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised and ease a cost-of-living crisis for millions of households and he sees China as a potential source of growth.
More than 50 UK business executives have joined him on the trip, along with the leaders of major cultural organizations, as he seeks to expand opportunities for British companies in China and secure Chinese investment in the UK
Trump tariffs spur new trade talks
The disruption to global trade under Trump has made expanding trade and investment more imperative for many governments. Vietnam and the European Union upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership Thursday, two days after the EU and India announced a free trade accord.
“At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners,” European Council President Antonio Costa said in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Starmer is the fourth leader of a US ally to visit Beijing this month, following those of South Korea, Canada and Finland. The German chancellor is expected to visit next month.
The UK leader also met Thursday with Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress, and Premier Li Qiang, who told Starmer his efforts to improve relations had been “widely welcomed” in both countries.
The two countries were expected to sign a number of agreements. One will try to disrupt the trade in Chinese boat engines used by smugglers to bring people across the English Channel to Britain. More than half the engines come from China, the British government said. Under the agreement, U.K law enforcement agencies will work with Chinese authorities and manufacturers to prevent engines from ending up in the hands of criminal gangs.
