A woman suffered burns after a sinkhole appeared beneath her feet, sending her into a pit of boiling water.
The elderly woman, from Perth, Australia, was seriously injured after she fell into the hole while walking along a footpath in Whakarewarewa Village, New Zealand, yesterday (28 July).
Her husband was also hurt in the shocking incident while trying to pull his wife up to safety. According to local reports, he is said to be in a moderate condition.
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Both patients were taken to Rotorua Hospital for treatment. According to the manager of the tourist attraction, the elderly woman slipped while walking along the path near the site's entrance.
Whakarewarewa Village general manager Mike Gibbons told the New Zealand Herald there was geothermal activity on Wahiao Drive and that the 'ground opened up'.
He speculated that the hole may have been caused by 'extra amount of rain' in the area, but this theory has not been confirmed.
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He said: "We are just keeping in communications with them and their families to monitor their wellbeing and recovery from the incident.
"Our understanding is that the wife slipped into the hole and she was eventually pulled from that and taken care of by our staff.
"We need to acknowledge some of these situations can be also stressful on the staff that were involved in the recovery process."
A video from the scene showed a huge hole in the centre of a path, reportedly measuring 1.5 metres deep and 2m by 1m wide.
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A spokesperson for the police said they were called to the scene just after 3.30pm.
Rotorua Lakes Council were also notified of the incident and went down to assess the damage.
Last year, a massive sinkhole opened up in Mexico, swallowing a house.
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The 60-metre sinkhole in Santa María Zacatepec, in the state of Puebla, was reported to have taken two dogs, Spay and Spike, into its depths.
Fortunately, after a hazardous rescue mission, the pooches were reported as being alive and well after the ordeal.
The owners of a nearby home were evacuated for their safety; unfortunately, after teetering over the edge, it collapsed around 45 metres deep into the giant pit.
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Topics: Police, World News, Australia
Dominic Smithers