A taxi was trapped after a water pipe burst, creating a hole in the road in Cheung Sha Wan early Sunday morning.
At 12.32 am, an underground pipe burst on Lai Chi Kok Road, eastbound towards Mong Kok, near the Cheung Sha Wan Police Station, causing suspected road subsidence.
A taxi driving by the site got stuck as the pothole enlarged, eventually submerging almost the entire vehicle in water.
Fortunately, the male taxi driver and his male passenger managed to exit the vehicle in time. The passenger left the scene without any injuries.
The driver, however, reported dizziness and weakness in his limbs and was transported to Caritas Medical Centre by ambulance for treatment.
Staff from the Water Supplies Department arrived at the scene and successfully shut off the water around 5 a.m.
The affected area spanned approximately 30 meters. Due to the subsidence, a nearby pedestrian bridge was also temporarily closed.
At the scene, three traffic lanes were flooded, with water mixed with sand and mud gushing from the ground.
By about 1.50 am, the taxi was submerged up to the top. After the water was turned off and receded, a sizeable pool-like pit was visible on the road, with the cab still trapped..
The taxi driver, surnamed Siu, recounted that he was heading towards Kwun Tong with a passenger. While in the slow lane, he noticed the road flooding and attempted to switch to the fast lane. However, due to a bus in the fast lane, he slowed to a stop.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the taxi tilted to the left. The driver and the passenger exited the vehicle as the water reached their ankles. The passenger then took another taxi to leave.
Siu attempted to press the gas to escape the area but only managed to leave after the police arrived.
He mentioned that in his 20 years of driving, he had never encountered a similar incident.
