This is a bizarre moment when the ground turned into liquid, swallowing a bulldozer and forcing the driver to jump out to escape.
According to Newsflare, the footage shows soil, trees, and a bulldozer being engulfed by mud in Central Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, on November 2nd.
Officials stated that the incident began during road rehabilitation work for a palm oil company on Jalan Desa Saloadak in the Tobadak district.
The bulldozer was swallowed while working on the road rehabilitation.
Rezky Ilhamsyah, coordinator of the Data and Information Center of Central Mamuju BPBD, added: “The road in Saloadak village collapsed due to liquefaction. This caused a heavy piece of equipment to be swept away.
The bulldozer was severely damaged after being buried. Fortunately, the operator survived the disaster.”
Rezky further mentioned that about 200 meters of the village were affected, and traffic in both directions is currently impassable.
No injuries have been reported following the incident. Police have arrived at the scene to monitor the situation and secure the area.
Liquefaction is a geological phenomenon that occurs when saturated soil loses its strength and stiffness due to applied stress, such as during earthquakes or other ground-shaking events.
This phenomenon typically occurs in loose, water-saturated soils, especially in sandy or muddy materials.
In 2018, soil liquefaction was also believed to be the cause of building collapses in Indonesia following a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
