Video captures sinkhole tragedy

A screen grab from security vision which reportedly shows a man being swallowed by a sinkhole in Shenzen, China.

A 25-year-old man in China has died after a sinkhole opened up and swallowed him.

Yang Jiabin was walking in Shenzhen near a construction site when he fell into an 8-metre wide, 16-metre deep sinkhole that killed him, after attempts to revive him failed.

Two closed-circuit videos captured his final moments, which then went viral in China on social media and through news websites like Sina.

There were more than 100 sinkholes formed in Beijing over the past two months, where poorly planned development seems to be a major factor.

Earlier this month Florida man Jeff Bush was killed after a sinkhole opened up under his bedroom.

A sinkhole in a construction site in Shenzhen, in southern China's Guangdong province. The sinkhole, which caused the death of a guard might have been caused by heavy rains and the collapsing of old water pipes running beneath the surface. Picture: AFP

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Man 'swallowed' by sinkhole

An engineer stands in front of a home where sinkhole opened up, swallowing a man as he slept in bed. His terrified brother tried to save the victim, butt he man is still missing. Picture: AP Source: AP

A MAN is presumed dead after a sinkhole opened up under his bedroom in the US state of Florida and "swallowed" him.

CNN reported the incident happened overnight in Brandon, a suburb of Tampa, Florida.

His brother Jerry Bush cried openly on CNN as he described the freakish nightmare of Thursday night, after which he jumped into the hole to try - in vain - to save his brother Jeff.

"I heard a loud crash like a car coming through the house and I heard my brother screaming," Mr Bush said. He managed to get into his 36-year-old brother's room and was stunned by the sight.

"All I seen was this big hole, real big hole and all I seen was his mattress," Mr Bush said. He jumped into the hole and started digging.

"I couldn't find him. I thought I could hear him holler for me to help him," Mr Bush said.
He added: "I know in my heart, he's dead."

Authorities called to the scene found the hole to be about 30 metres in diameter and were unable to make contact with the victim.

An engineer stands in front of a home where sinkhole opened up, swallowing a man as he slept in bed. His terrified brother tried to save the victim, butt he man is still missing. Picture: AP

"There is no evidence of him being alive," CNN quoted Jessica Damico, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Fire Department, as saying.

She was quoted as saying the hole was still actively developing and was not man made.

Authorities have evacuated the neighborhood as a precautionary measure.

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