Beijing, Jan 14 (IANS): At least six people were killed and 16 others injured after an enormous sinkhole swallowed a bus and a number of pedestrians in central China, it was reported on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday evening outside a hospital in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, the BBC said in a report.

CCTV footage showed an explosion inside the sinkhole shortly after the bus and bystanders fell inside.

A number of people gather to try to rescue the bus passengers, but were engulfed by the sinkhole as it suddenly widens.

According to state media, the sinkhole stretched nearly 32 feet in diametre.

It remains unclear how many people were inside the bus at the time of the incident.

Sinkholes in China are often blamed on construction works and the rapid pace of development in the country, said the BBC report.

In 2018, four people were killed after a sinkhole opened up on a busy pavement in the city of Dazhou.

In 2013, a similar incident killed five people at an industrial estate in Shenzhen.