A sinkhole in southern California swallowed a wheel loader whole while it was clearing debris from a Ventura County road. According to county authorities, the sinkhole opened up after a torrential downpour flooded the area.
A photo published in the Sacramento Bee showed the loader completely engulfed by the hole, with only the bucket above ground. CBSLA reported that the sinkhole was caused by a pipe the broke under the roadway, developing after weekend storms left the Los Angeles area flooded.
“I felt something weird,” operator Gilbert Beltran told CBSLA. “I thought I got a flat.”
The vehicle’s operator was rescued safely. All motorists have been asked to avoid the area.
Source: WTHR, CBSLA, The Sacramento Bee
