Sinkhole swallows car in shocking video from Mumbai amid heavy monsoon rains

A video of a car being sucked into a deep sinkhole in a matter of seconds outside a housing complex in Mumbai has gone viral as heavy rains pounded India’s wealthiest city.

The incident happened on Sunday in the Ghatkopar West area of Mumbai, capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra, when the ground where the car was parked appeared to suddenly cave in.

Mumbai police said that there was a well beneath the spot, which had been half covered by residents and turned into a parking space. The cement caved in due to the heavy rains and the car sank, police said.

Though the lights of the car appear to be on in the video, no one was inside the vehicle at the time and there were no injuries, local authorities said.

Refusing to take responsibility, local civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the incident happened in a private residential society compound and it has nothing to do with it.

It said there was a well within the society complex and half of it was covered with RCC (reinforced cement concrete). The local body said that residents of the society used to park their cars on this cement slab, and preliminary information showed that a car parked on the spot was submerged.

BMC said the residential complex had been asked to take safety measures to make sure the incident is not repeated.

Dr Kiran Doshi, the 67-year-old owner of the car, said they were informed of the incident by the man who washes the cars belonging to residents, according to The Indian Express.

Dr Doshi said: “He raised an alarm, after which I rushed to the spot and saw that the car was sinking into the well. Then I shot a video.”

The residents of the housing complex said it was constructed more than 80 years ago, and the well was covered up around 40 years ago.

The car was eventually pulled out of the sinkhole by the authorities with the help of a crane, almost 12 hours after it was submerged.

Mumbai has been witnessing incessant rains for the last few days after the arrival of the monsoon season, leading to flash floods in several parts of the city. The Indian Meteorological Department continues to issue severe weather alerts for the city, and forecast that it would receive "very heavy rain" on Monday.

Read More

‘No one could do anything’: Man who went out to fetch milk loses 9 members of family in Mumbai building collapse

Elderly Muslim man beaten and has beard shaved by men chanting Hindu slogans

Why the survivors of India’s brutal second Covid wave are left with crippling debt