A sinkhole has occurred again in Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, due to the aging of the water supply valve.
According to the fire department on the 30th of last month, the Gangdong Fire Station received a report of a sinkhole occurring near the Gildong intersection in Seongnae-dong at around 3:30 PM.
The Seoul city government described the size of the sinkhole as approximately 2.5 meters wide, 3 meters long, and 1.2 meters deep.
Fortunately, there were no casualties or property damage reported, and the cause of the sinkhole has been identified as a leakage due to the aging of the water supply valve.
A representative from the Gangdong District Office explained, "The welding part of the water supply drainage valve became loose, causing a leak that resulted in ground subsidence." The district office stated that it plans to control three lanes in collaboration with the Gangdong Waterworks Office and complete the repair work by early morning on the 1st.
Starting around 5 PM on the same day, the city of Seoul dispatched ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey vehicles to the site of the sinkhole to investigate damages to the water and sewage pipes in the surrounding area. The analysis results will be made public on the Seoul Safety Nuri website as soon as the work is completed.
Recently, residents in Gangdong-gu have been increasingly anxious due to a series of sinkholes. On March 24th, a large sinkhole with a diameter of 20 meters appeared in Myeongil-dong, and it was a tragic incident when a motorcyclist trapped in the sinkhole was discovered dead about 17 hours after the accident occurred.
Moreover, on the 2nd, a sinkhole with a diameter of 20 cm and a depth of 50 cm occurred in Gildong, and on the 14th, a sinkhole approximately 30 cm wide, 20 cm long, and 10 cm deep appeared at a crosswalk near Gangdong Station.
Meanwhile, sinkholes occur when underground soil or rock dissolves due to water, changes in groundwater flow, or the aging of underground structures. As the aging of urban infrastructure progresses, the frequency of such occurrences is increasing.
Image source: Photo provided by Gangdong-gu. On March 24th, in the vicinity of Daemyung Elementary School in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, a large sinkhole incident occurred, causing traffic to be controlled. / Photo provided by Gangdong-gu.
