Two vehicles were swallowed by a sinkhole at Omaha's 67th and Pacific intersection but the drivers managed to escape unharmed.

A dramatic traffic camera footage from the US city of Omaha shows the moment two vehicles were swallowed whole by a sinkhole at an intersection. The now-viral clip was recorded by University of Nebraska-Omaha Public Safety's security cameras and showed a maroon Jeep SUV and a silver Dodge Ram pickup slowing down at the red light when the sinkhole suddenly opened up.

Officers responded to the intersection of 67th and Pacific streets around 3:30 pm local time on Tuesday (Feb 24) afternoon. The two drivers were able to get out of their vehicles and the sinkhole by the time the emergency responders and police officers arrived. No one was injured, the authorities added.

"MUD is on site and investigating a sinkhole at 67th & Pacific Street. It will take time to determine the cause. Please avoid the area at this time to allow crews to work safely," the Metropolitan Utilities District said in a statement.

Omaha Police Lt. Dan Martin said the incident caught everyone by surprise. He also warned that it was possible that the sinkhole could expand.

Austin Rowser, Omaha's City Engineer and Assistant Public Works Director, attributed the sinkhole to a probable pressurised water leak underground.

“Ultimately, it comes down to erosion because all pavement, as you know, is not built to stand on its own; it has to have the support from the soil underneath it,” Rowser was quoted as saying by 13 WIBW.

'Lucky For Them'

Reacting to the viral video, social media users said the two vehicles and the occupants were lucky that the sinkhole was not deep as the accident could have taken a deadly turn.

"Scary but at least it didn't go deep. Lucky for them," said one user while another added: "During this moment, best to do is pray, stay calm and look around before exiting."

A third commented: "The two vehicles behind were a bit too slow to react, in my opinion. You see two cars get swallowed up, and you're still taking your sweet time to reverse. It can never be me."

A fourth said: "Thank God the sinkhole wasn't deep and people reached out to help them! Otherwise, it would have been a bad ending.