Motorist's Miracle Escape After Driving Car Into A Sinkhole

A motorist miraculously escaped after driving his car into a sinkhole in Brentwood, UK. According to the Evening Standard, the sinkhole appeared overnight as Storm Ciara battered parts of UK with strong winds and heavy rains. Photos clicked on Monday morning show the Toyota Prius trapped in the sinkhole on Hatch Road.

The operation to remove the vehicle from the 6.5-foot deep sinkhole began Monday afternoon. Firefighters who were called to the scene found the car with both airbags inflated. They worked for over two hours to remove the car before handing the operation over to Anglian Water.

The driver of the car is believed to be uninjured.

According to a BBC report, six homes were also evacuated after the incident due to "unstable ground".

Gordon Humphrey, who lives next to the sinkhole, said to BBC that his wife heard a bang before they saw the car. "You could hear the water bubbling, see the tail lights and there was a smell of gas," he said.

Another neighbour, Stephanie Lloyd, said that it looked like the car had been cut in half.

Authorities are now checking the area to see if there is any sewer damage.

Extreme weather thanks to Storm Ciara has affected services in the UK, delaying flights, blowing away sheds and roofs, uprooting trees and bringing down overhead power cables. A viral video captured in Birmingham during the storm also shows a bolt of lightning striking a passenger plane.