Woman falls into BOILING SINKHOLE as ground ‘opens up’ beneath her
A vacation for an Australian couple in neighboring New Zealand took on a terrifying turn when the wife fell into a 'geothermal sinkhole' while walking on a footpath. The incident on Thursday left the woman critically injured. The husband, who pulled her out, was slightly injured.
The incident took place at the tourist destination Whakarewarewa. The New Zealand Herald reports that when they arrived at The Living Maori Village in Rotorua on Thursday at 2:20 pm, they discovered an elderly woman who had been seriously hurt and a man who had been slightly hurt. They weren't identified.
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According to police, they were called to the scene around 3:30 pm after receiving reports that two people had been injured. Both patients were transported to Rotorua Hospital for medical treatment.
A video shows steam rising from the sinkhole, which was estimated to be about 2m square and 1.5m deep by local media outlet Aukaha News.
"Two ambulances and one fast response unit were dispatched to the scene. St John handled then transported one patient in a critical situation and one in a reasonable situation to Rotorua Hospital," said an ambulance spokeswoman.
According to village spokesperson Mike Gibbons, the couple was walking along a footpath near the village's entrance when they fell. He told 9News that "the village would be temporarily closed to visitors until a full investigation and evaluation had been undertaken by the appropriate authorities, including WorkSafe and the Rotorua Lakes Council."
"The area surrounding the fumarole, which is estimated to be 2m long x 1m wide and up to 1m deep...has been closed off to the public pending the WorkSafe assessment. It appears that the bottom has been compromised as a result of the recent heavy rainfall. We're simply keeping in touch with them and their families to monitor their health and recovery from the incident," Gibbons added.
According to the Aukaha News, people reported seeing steam rising from the area about a week ago, prompting authorities to place an orange safety cone in the area.
According to its website, Whakarewarewa Village is a popular cultural attraction as the country's "only living Maori village," offering Maori dance performances, a traditional feast, and geothermal features. The incident was reported to Rotorua Lakes Council shortly before 2:15 pm on Thursday.
Staff were immediately dispatched to secure the area. "The area around the hole is still cordoned off, and the road is closed with signage, Work to repair the road will begin as soon as possible, and other village roads will be checked as a precaution and the Council will stay in touch with its contacts in the village to keep residents updated on progress," said the council.
