Sinkhole swallows family car in Peru (video)

A family managed to escape after their car was swallowed by a giant sinkhole while they drove along a road in Peru.

The incident was caught on camera and shows the car fall backwards almost vertically into the 9ft-deep hole.

See also: Huge 20ft sinkhole opens up on M62

See also: Massive sinkhole swallows car and caravan on beach

Witnesses rush to the family's aid, and they can be seen making their escape through the driver's side door window.

According to the Mirror, three people, Edgar Orlando Bartolo Silva, 34, Marisol Mercedes Gutierrez Siccha, 31, and their two-year-old daughter escaped unhurt.

The incident occurred on Thursday in Trujillo, in northwestern Peru, after heavy rain battered the area.

According to the Huffington Post, Silva said: "Some people helped us, but we were scared, because water began to filter into the vehicle."

The family suffered minor cuts and bruises in the incident, and were taken to a local medical centre for check ups.

A crane later came and removed the car from the five metre-wide hole, reports Sky News.