Israel: Sinkhole opens on Tel Aviv highway, no injuries

A sinkhole opened on the Ayalon Highway in Israel’s coastal city of Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, causing a chaotic scene of traffic.

There were no known casualties or injuries, and it was still unclear what caused the sinkhole. However, the city is undergoing extensive infrastructure and construction work.

The pit, which spanned one of the highway’s southward lanes, prompted authorities to close a number of lanes and the nearby exit, causing massive disruption.

Two lanes remained open, but there was heavy traffic in the area as police considered closing the part of the highway.

Traffic jams were set to be exacerbated with the end of Shabbat, which leads to an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads.

According to Ynetnews, highway maintenance staff were expected to work through the night to repair the sinkhole ahead of the Sunday morning rush of work commuters.

It was unclear when the area would be reopened to traffic.

Sinkholes are relatively rare in the center of the country. However, a man died in July when a sinkhole opened underneath a swimming pool during a party in the central town of Karmei Yosef.

The owners of the house hosting the party did not apply for a permit before building the pool, and an unsourced Kan report claimed such a permit would not have been given due to known infrastructural problems at the site.