A huge sinkhole suddenly appeared on a busy street in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on June 7, engulfing a passing minibus.

Authorities believe the 3-meter-deep hole swallowed the bus without warning after weeks of torrential rain washed away the road's foundations.

The driver is currently receiving treatment for minor injuries. The police have since cordoned off the site.

The terrified driver explained the hole suddenly opened up beneath him while he sat in a traffic jam.

"I thought it was an earthquake. The ground suddenly disappeared from underneath and there was this tremendous crack and a rumbling," the driver, who had managed to scramble to safety, told police.

"It was impossible to predict. The road looked undamaged on the surface but the weight of the van sitting on it was just too much for it to bear," said a police spokesman.

Agencies