Massive sinkhole caught on video swallowing up buildings (video)

Sinkhole swallows up buildings 
By: Mahesh Sarin 

(Scroll down for video) People were shocked with what they saw happening in front of their eyes, according to video uploaded to the Internet.

A massive sinkhole in Guangzhou, China, swallowed buildings and knocked out power to thousands of residents.

According to reports, the hole was about 3,230 square feet wide and very deep. A video of the incident showed a crowd gathering around the scene before the sinkhole expanded, causing buildings to collapse as if they were detonated.

Neighboring buildings were evacuated and streets were blocked by police. "The gas could be smelled from over 90 feet away and a deafening noise was heard as the earth continued to crack and sink," witnesses said.

Sinkholes are nothing new. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, some sinkholes are caused by humans.

New sinkholes have been correlated with the practices of land use, especially of groundwater pumping, construction practices and development. They are also present in areas where the rock below the earth's surface easily dissolve in groundwater.