A giant sinkhole has swallowed a parking lot associated with a hospital in the city of Naples, Italy, leading to the temporary closure of a facility designated for COVID-19 recovery.
This caused a power outage at the temporary site and the hospital, although it did not affect operations and services at "Mare" Hospital in Naples, due to the presence of a backup power network. Several visitor vehicles parked in the nearly empty lot fell into the sinkhole, but no injuries were reported among patients, according to the local fire brigade. The sinkhole, which formed suddenly during the early morning hours, reached a depth of approximately 20 meters and covered an area of about 2,000 square meters. Fire brigade officer Enio Aquilino told Italian channel Sky TG24 that the cause of the sinkhole may be attributed to groundwater seepage resulting from heavy rainfall earlier. It is noted that the temporary facility for COVID-19 recovery will reopen in a few days after power and water services are restored.
