Pacific

Giant sinkhole swallows backhoe on Saipan

16:31 pm on 31 August 2022

A 15-metre sinkhole that suddenly opened up on Saipan completely swallowed a backhoe on Tuesday.

The Northern Marianas' Commonwealth Utilities Corporation said the sinkhole suddenly appeared at one of its wastewater plants.

Photo: Mark Rabago

It said the heavy equipment could not be recovered.

No one was injured and the area has been secured.

It is unclear if the 5.8-magnitude earthquake felt on Monday night may have caused the sinkhole.

The National Weather Service based off Tiyan, Guam says the earthquake occurred about 29 kilometres south of Rota with a depth of about 110 kilometres.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat to either country.