Huge sinkhole shuts factory and halts riverboat traffic in Sweden

A huge sinkhole in northern Sweden has forced the closure of a factory in an industrial area and halted boat traffic on a nearby river, emergency services said.

Hakan Wiberg, from Ornskoldsvik emergency services, said they had cordoned off the area for fear of further erosion after the hole grew to a size of 8m by 8m (26ft by 26ft).

Workers at a forest products refinery on Sunday evening alerted emergency services to the hole, which was apparently caused by a burst underground sewage pipe.

It was not clear if the hole had caused any damage to buildings but experts were investigating the area on Monday.

AP