MOTORCYCLIST SWALLOWED BY SINKHOLE FOUND IN SEOUL

SEOUL, March 25 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A motorcyclist swallowed by a large sinkhole in Seoul was found in a state of cardiac arrest on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing officials.

The 20-metre-wide and 20-metre-deep sinkhole abruptly appeared on Monday at an intersection near an elementary school in Gangdong Ward, eastern Seoul, at 6.29 pm, swallowing the motorcycle rider and injuring another vehicle driver, who passed over the section just before its collapse.

"The man, in his 30s, was found in a state of cardiac arrest at 11.22 am," a fire official at Gangdong Ward said in an on-site briefing to the press.

The man was found about 50 metres away from the sinkhole, according to the official.

During overnight search operations, authorities discovered a mobile phone, presumed to belong to the motorcyclist, in the sinkhole at 1.37 am before finding the motorcycle about two hours later, approximately 30 metres away from where the sinkhole formed.

Authorities resumed search operations with heavy equipment at 7.00 am.

Due to the safety concerns from the sinkhole, four schools in the area -- Seoul Daemyeong Elementary School, Hanyoung Middle and High Schools, and Hanyoung Foreign Language High School -- were closed Tuesday.

Hanyoung Middle and High Schools notified students and parents the previous night that water would be cut off due to the sinkhole, while gas had already been shut off, making it difficult to use bathrooms and the cafeteria.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP