EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) -- Part of an underground tunnel collapsed on Thursday in the Egyptian town of Rafah, bordering the Gaza Strip, creating a seven-meter wide hole in the road.

A public transport vehicle fell into the crater, which engineers said was caused by the tunnel network used to transport goods to the Gaza Strip, a Ma'an correspondent said.

The engineering department of the city council is pressing for the hole and the tunnel to be filled in order to prevent such damage recurring.

The tunnels are used to circumvent Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.