VIDEO: Watch the moment one of Rome's monster sinkholes opens
Holes in the road are a common sight in Rome, as any pedestrian who's twisted an ankle or driver who's blown a tyre can tell you.
Less often seen, though, is the very moment one of the capital's notorious chasms opens up – which is exactly what a new video captured.
Filmed on the Appia ring road on Thursday afternoon, the clip caught the tarmac as it crumbled into a hole three metres by five wide and six metres deep.
Watch here:
Video: AGF via Repubblica
Two parked cars teetered on the edge of the crater but managed to avoid falling, a fate suffered by more than one vehicle before them.
Just ten days ago, two cars had to be hauled out of a massive pothole that opened on another of Rome's ring roads in the south-west.
READ ALSO: Giant pothole sinks two cars in Rome
Firefighters were called to the latest incident to remove the vehicles and secure the area, which was temporarily closed to traffic.
Nel primo pomeriggio i #vigilidelfuoco di #Roma sono intervenuti nel centro città per una voragine lungo la sede stradale: recuperati i due veicoli coinvolti, sono state effettuate alcune verifiche tecniche e la messa in sicurezza dell’area #soccorsiquotidiani pic.twitter.com/uBVEoWjDPm
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) March 22, 2018
It was at least the ninth crater to open in the area in 21 months, the mayor of Rome's VII municipality told Roma Today.
The south-eastern area, which surrounds the ancient Appian Way, is thought to be riven with underground cavities, cellars for mushroom growing and archeological treasures, such as the fourth-century catacombs discovered by chance during work on a nearby building.
Everywhere in the city, a spell of rain, snow and ice have taken their toll on already battered tarmac, with freeze-thaw damage worsening the capital's potholes even further.
READ ALSO: Rome launches €17 million plan to fill the city's potholes
The mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi of the Five Star Movement, recently announced a "Marshall Plan" to mend the city's streets, at a cost of €17 million.
According to an app set up to map road damage, 10,000 potholes have been reported over the past seven years, with 110 appearing in the past month alone.
Wry Romans have turned the hazards into a running joke on social media.
A fisherman takes to the streets of Rome as giant potholes open in the roads. pic.twitter.com/P5ac3keZIG
— Crispian Balmer (@crispiandjb) March 7, 2018
Balduwatch #bucheaRoma pic.twitter.com/WTeifaQEYT
— Jacopo (@Jacop83) March 8, 2018
In February a vast sinkhole opened near a construction site in north-western Rome, swallowing seven parked cars and forcing the evacuation of 22 nearby homes. Two people were placed under investigation for potential "culpable disaster".
PICTURES: Massive sinkhole opens in Rome, swallowing cars
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Less often seen, though, is the very moment one of the capital's notorious chasms opens up – which is exactly what a new video captured.
Filmed on the Appia ring road on Thursday afternoon, the clip caught the tarmac as it crumbled into a hole three metres by five wide and six metres deep.
Watch here:
Video: AGF via Repubblica
Two parked cars teetered on the edge of the crater but managed to avoid falling, a fate suffered by more than one vehicle before them.
Just ten days ago, two cars had to be hauled out of a massive pothole that opened on another of Rome's ring roads in the south-west.
READ ALSO: Giant pothole sinks two cars in Rome
Firefighters were called to the latest incident to remove the vehicles and secure the area, which was temporarily closed to traffic.
Nel primo pomeriggio i #vigilidelfuoco di #Roma sono intervenuti nel centro città per una voragine lungo la sede stradale: recuperati i due veicoli coinvolti, sono state effettuate alcune verifiche tecniche e la messa in sicurezza dell’area #soccorsiquotidiani pic.twitter.com/uBVEoWjDPm
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) March 22, 2018
It was at least the ninth crater to open in the area in 21 months, the mayor of Rome's VII municipality told Roma Today.
The south-eastern area, which surrounds the ancient Appian Way, is thought to be riven with underground cavities, cellars for mushroom growing and archeological treasures, such as the fourth-century catacombs discovered by chance during work on a nearby building.
Everywhere in the city, a spell of rain, snow and ice have taken their toll on already battered tarmac, with freeze-thaw damage worsening the capital's potholes even further.
READ ALSO: Rome launches €17 million plan to fill the city's potholes
The mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi of the Five Star Movement, recently announced a "Marshall Plan" to mend the city's streets, at a cost of €17 million.
According to an app set up to map road damage, 10,000 potholes have been reported over the past seven years, with 110 appearing in the past month alone.
Wry Romans have turned the hazards into a running joke on social media.
A fisherman takes to the streets of Rome as giant potholes open in the roads. pic.twitter.com/P5ac3keZIG
— Crispian Balmer (@crispiandjb) March 7, 2018
Balduwatch #bucheaRoma pic.twitter.com/WTeifaQEYT
— Jacopo (@Jacop83) March 8, 2018
In February a vast sinkhole opened near a construction site in north-western Rome, swallowing seven parked cars and forcing the evacuation of 22 nearby homes. Two people were placed under investigation for potential "culpable disaster".
PICTURES: Massive sinkhole opens in Rome, swallowing cars
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