Parts of a hospital in Italy remained without power Monday after a sinkhole opened outside the building, it reported.
The 66-foot deep hole appeared in the parking lot of Naples Hospital of the Sea this past weekend.
Authorities said there were no reports of injuries in the collapse at the empty visitor's car park. The hospital is relying on backup power after utility lines were severed.
Some patients have been relocated - including six who had tested positive for coronavirus.
Regional governor Vincenzo De Luca said parts of the hospital would reopen only once utilities were restored.
"Frankly, we were also worried about the collapse of all utilities and that the activity of the hospital could be jeopardized," De Luca said.
Three cars reportedly fell into the 21,527-square-foot hole. Authorities have also cleared residents from nearby homes.
The hospital said its backup systems allowed it to continue working and there were no problems providing care.
Firefighters said the sinkhole may have been caused by recent rains. "It's almost certain that the rainwater from these past few days caused seepage that resulted in the collapse. There will be further technical inspections but the principal hypothesis is this," chief firefighter Cmdr. Ennio Aquilino said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said sinkholes were a typical natural occurrence anywhere. The one in Italy was relatively large and likely caused naturally. The largest sinkhole on record was a 2,100-feet hole in China in 1994.
The survey said some sinkholes can occur as a result of "human-induced" conditions - such as groundwater pumping and underground construction.
