Shocking pics show piping hot sinkhole spewing steam and filled with boiling water that swallowed up pensioner tourist

AN elderly tourist was almost killed and left with serious burns after she fell into a huge sinkhole filled with boiling water that suddenly opened up at a tourist spot in New Zealand. The woman, from Perth, Australia, had been walking with her husband on Tyron Street, on a footpath leading into Rotorua‘s Whakarewarewa Village on Thursday afternoon. Aukaha NewsAn elderly woman fell in the 1.5 metre-deep sinkhole full of boiling water[/caption] Aukaha NewsWhakarewarewa Village general manager said the ground had opened below the pensioner’s feet[/caption] Aukaha NewsThe area has now been cordoned off to avoid any one else falling into the boiling pit[/caption] Whakarewarewa Village general manager Mike Gibbons confirmed the elderly woman slipped into a geothermal hole that opened up below her feet near the entrance to the tourist attraction. He told 7News: “Our understanding is that the wife slipped into the hole and she was eventually pulled from that and taken care of by our staff. “We are just keeping in communications with them and their families to monitor their wellbeing and recovery from the incident.” The husband suffered moderate injuries when he tried to pull his wife out of the sinkhole. READ MORE IN WORLD NEWS RIPPED APART Boy, 10, killed in jaguar attack has face torn off by blood-thirsty beast HUNT FOR CLUES Cops probing Jack Fenton death can’t contact pals who saw chopper accident The couple was taken to Rotorua Hospital by ambulance. The woman, who is “seriously injured” is in hospital in a serious condition. Chilling footage from the scene shows a crater, which looks to be about two meter long, with steam rising from it. Experts believe the 1.5 metre-deep sinkhole originated from the geothermal activity in the area – including an “extra amount of rain”. Interviewed by Aukaha News, a local man said: “I could hear a bit of crying going on but they stopped me from accessing through so I just let them do what they had to do and how that I’ve just come back this way, yeah it’s incredible. “I’s awful. I heard someone had fallen in there and that someone went in to try and rescue her so yeah, very concerning.” Gibbons told 7News the management of Whakarewarewa Village are keeping in communications with the couple and their families to “monitor their wellbeing and recovery from the incident”. Police have now condoned off the footpath near the sinkhole. Sinkholes are usually caused by erosion underneath the ground’s surface that is due to a poor drainage of water. Sinkholes have been known to be just a couple of feet across but also so big that they have swallowed up cars and buildings. Most read in News WATER MESS Germany turns off hot water & heating as Russia gas ban sends prices soaring SCHOOLGIRL HORROR Girl, 9, stabbed to death named as cops arrest two in ‘murder’ probe BLOOD IN THE WATER Trainer screamed ‘I don’t want to die’ as she was ripped apart by whales WAR CARNAGE Putin humiliated as Russia now lost 75K soldiers in Ukraine - half of troops INSTA SHAM Meet the ‘world’s worst influencer’ behind scam dubbed ‘Instagram’s Fyre Fest’ STAY OUT THE WATER Fears that Great Whites could strike in huge numbers off popular beach The deepest sinkhole to have ever formed is in the Chongqing district of China, and it is 2,171 feet deep and 2053 metres wide. A huge sinkhole opened up recently on a farm in New Zealand –  the length of two football fields and the depth of a six-storey building. Not known, clear with picture deskThe sinkhole was caused by geothermal activity in the area[/caption]