The video will start in 8 Cancel

News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A giant sinkhole has opened up in the capital city of El Salvador prompting a massive evacuation of the area.

Drone footage shows homes teetering on the edge of the crater the size of a football pitch.

The sinkhole has been an issue for several years but is believed to have been made worse after heavy tropical rains hit the region.

Sinkholes are caused by erosion and the drainage of water. They can be the result of natural processes or they can be triggered by human activity.

(Image: Newsflare)

Earlier this year, two separate sinkholes appeared on the M25 between junctions 4, near Orpington, and junction 5, near Sevenoaks.

It caused traffic chaos as the motorway section between the junction closed at midnight on June 11. The road was open again at around 7am.

Last year, a woman was lucky to be alive after she fell 10ft down into a sinkhole after the ground opened up beneath her feet.

(Image: via REUTERS)

CCTV footage caught the terrifying moment she was swallowed up as she innocently walked by.

A huge hole opened up, which was measured as 10ft wide and was estimated to be 10ft deep.

The woman can be seen in the footage hitting her head before she disappears from sight.