DEADLY SINKHOLE

A motorcyclist who had plunged into a 20-meter deep sinkhole in South Korea's capital Seoul was found dead yesterday, a rescue official said, while the driver of a car had a narrow escape and suffered minor injuries.

The body of the 33-year-old man was found 50m away from the center of the collapsed sinkhole in a subway tunnel under construction almost 20m from the surface at an intersection in the Myeongil-dong neighborhood, officials said.

It took rescuers almost 18 hours to locate the motorcyclist after they had to pump out water and dig through dirt, as well as navigate past construction equipment and other debris, said officials.

The man was found wearing a helmet and motorcycle boots. Rescue workers said they found his motorcycle and mobile phone before reaching his body. The cause of the sinkhole, roughly 20m wide, was under investigation.

Dashboard camera footage showed the car bouncing violently as its rear wheels narrowly cleared the hole, followed by the motorcycle and the rider plunging into the chasm.

Meanwhile, wildfires expanded in the country's southeast region yesterday, threatening a world heritage site and forcing thousands more residents to evacuate their homes.

The city of Andong issued an alert to its residents to evacuate to safe areas.

REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS