The biggest city sinkholes around the world – in pictures

As a huge crater opened up in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, we take a look at the largest urban sinkholes – from Guangzhou to Guatemala City

Main image: The rains of tropical storm Agatha, alongside a volcanic eruption and leakage from sewer pipes created a giant sinkhole in the Guatemalan capital in May 2010 Photograph: Daniel Leclair / Reuters/Reuters

  • Berezniki, 2007

    This Russian city, home to a number of potassium, magnesium and potash mines, suffers from a number of sinkholes and has to be constantly monitored. This sinkhole is currently over 200m deep, 80m long and 40m wide – and growing
    Berezniki sinkhole

  • San Francisco, 1995

    A sinkhole swallowed two homes and forced the evacuation of nine other homes in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff district in December 1995. The hole measured approximately 200ft by 150ft and was apparently caused by a broken sewer pipe
    San Francisco sinkhole

  • Guangzhou, 2013

    Workers use machinery to fill in a sinkhole that buildings collapsed into near a subway construction site in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The hole measured about 1,000 sq ft across and was around 30 ft deep
    Guangzhou sinkhole

  • Fukuoka, 2016

    A huge sinkhole is seen at an intersection near Hakata station in the Japanese city on November 8, 2016
    Fukuoka huge sinkhole is seen at an intersection near Hakata station

  • San Francisco, 1998

    A car sits in a huge sinkhole on John Muir Drive in San Francisco, after stopped up sewers caused flooding
    San Francisco sinkhole

  • Guatemala City, 2007

    A sinkhole opened up in a residential neighbourhood of the Guatemalan capital. About a dozen homes were swallowed, and three people died
    Guatemala City sinkhole

  • Guatemala City, 2010

    Three years later, the rains of tropical storm Agatha, alongside a volcanic eruption and leakage from sewer pipes created a giant sinkhole in the city in May 2010
    Guatemala City, sinkhole

  • Milwaukee, 2010

    A car sits at the bottom of a sinkhole caused by flooding triggered by powerful storms in southeastern Wisconsin
    Milwaukee sinkhole

  • Daisetta, 2008

    A large sinkhole swallowed up oil field equipment and vehicles in this southeastern Texan city
    A large sinkhole swallowed up oil field equipment and vehicles in this southeastern Texan city

  • Mount Gambier, Australia

    Mount Gambier is known for its volcanic craters, caves and sinkholes – and is sometimes referred to as the ‘city of craters’. Victorian terraced gardens were created in the Umpherston limestone sinkhole in 1886
    Mount Gambier, Australia
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