The biggest city sinkholes around the world – in pictures

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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

  • 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
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    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
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    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
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    Guangzhou sinkhole

  • Fukuoka, 2016


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

  • Milwaukee, 2010


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

  • Daisetta, 2008


    A large sinkhole swallowed up oil field equipment and vehicles in this southeastern Texan city
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    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
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    Mount Gambier, Australia