Maruti Dzire Falls Into A Sinkhole In The Middle Of The Road: Driver And Passengers Rescued [Video]

In the past, we have come across several posts where people have narrowly escaped from falling into a sinkhole that formed on the road out of nowhere. Well, one such incident was recently reported from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A cab fell into a sinkhole in the middle of the road along with the driver and four passengers in it. A video of the car inside the sinkhole has now surfaced online and has gone viral on the internet.

As per various media reports available online, the accident happened last week on Rajiv Gandhi Salai (Old Mahabalipuram Road), near Tidel Park in Taramani. The incident occurred around 4 PM last week. The cab, which was a Maruti Dzire Tour S, had stopped at a traffic signal. The driver was waiting for the signal to turn green when suddenly the road beneath the car caved in.

The car tilted towards the driver’s side and fell into the sinkhole. When this happened, it triggered panic among road users, and they suddenly gathered around the vehicle to help the occupants.

The cab was driven by Mariadas (47), and he was carrying four passengers who were identified as Vignesh (42), his wife Dhanya (32), and two kids, Aswanth and Advaith. They were travelling to Chennai Central Railway Station when this accident happened.

All occupants were safely rescued from the vehicle, and all of them sustained only minor injuries. Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services reached the spot and also shifted the injured passengers and driver to a nearby hospital for first aid.

After the incident, the cops closed the affected area with barricades and diverted the traffic to avoid congestion on this stretch. Upon inspection, it was found that the sewer line running beneath the road had developed a leak, which could have been the reason for the sinkhole formation at this spot.

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, along with a team from the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company, which maintains the OMR stretch of the road, will inspect the region and work together to fix the issue.

The officials stated that full repair work on the sinkhole can only be done at night, as traffic is lighter during that time. The leak was detected in a 2.2-meter diameter underground pipe belonging to the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. officials also visited the spot and clarified that the sinkhole had nothing to do with the ongoing metro construction activities in the area.

We have usually seen such incidents occur during heavy rains, but this is probably the first time we have come across something like this in dry conditions. The occupants and the driver were extremely lucky to escape from the car without any serious injury. Things could have been different if the car had fallen into the sinkhole while in motion. That could have resulted in severe injuries.

A sinkhole is formed when the soil under the tarmac is washed away due to water leakage or other causes, creating a void. When this happens, there is nothing to support the top layer of soil, and the road caves in.