LOUISIANA - A video showing a massive sinkhole in Louisiana in the United States swallowing a clump of trees has been making headlines.

The sinkhole is believed to be more than 10ha in size, with some sections hundreds of metres deep.

The incident on Wednesday was captured on video by an official in the area.

Sinkholes open suddenly in the ground and can be caused by erosion due to underground water, or when material is taken out of the ground.

This particular sinkhole, called the Bayou Corne sinkhole, is believed to have been caused by the mining of underground salt caverns. The land is leased to mining company Texas Brine.

It was discovered in August last year and 350 residents of the area, Assumption Parish, were advised to evacuate. It is in a Louisiana swamp, and experts believe it will continue to grow over the next few years.

No-one was hurt in Wednesday's incident, but the trees, some up to 13m high, vanished in seconds.