ROME – A huge sinkhole was opened on Friday in the parking lot of a hospital in Naples, Italy, forcing the temporary closure of a nearby residence for the recovery of COVID-19 patients as utilities were cut off.
The operations were not affected in the hospital of the sea, and the fire department said no one was apparently injured. The sinkhole consumed three cars in the otherwise empty visitor parking lot.
The local hospital district said the 20-meter-deep, 2,000-square-meter sinkhole opened at dawn. Chief firefighter Cmdr. Ennio Aquilino told Italian television channel SkyTG 24 that the explosion could be caused by an infiltration of water underground due to recent heavy rains.
At the time, six people were recovering at the residence for COVID-19 patients. They were displaced.
The regional governor, Vincenzo De Luca, said the residence would reopen within days of the electricity and water service being restored. Both were also disrupted in hospital, but backup systems allowed care to continue.
“Honestly, we were also concerned about the collapse of all utilities and that the activity of the hospital could be in jeopardy,” De Luca said. Thank God it did not happen. We had a power outage but electricity was restored and now we have no problem providing care. ”