New York, Nov 28 (IANS): An unoccupied small utility vehicle (SUV) fell into a giant sinkhole at a residential neighbourhood in New York City's Queens borough, according to a media report.

The incident took place on Thursday morning, according to the Fox News report.

The vehicle was discovered nose-down in the massive sinkhole at about 6 a.m. on 70th Street near 52nd Avenue in Maspeth, authorities said.

In a statement, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) said that they responded to the location for reports of trauma and confirmed that the SUV was empty when the incident occurred.

Photos of the sinkhole was shared by City Councilman Robert Holden on Twitter.

He added that several roads in the area had closed due to the sink hole.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, the Councilman said: "We need the city to investigate the cause of this sinkhole. I have spoken today with @NYCDDC (NYC Department of Design and Construction) and they assured me that they will determine what happened and make sure the area is safe.

"Starting on Monday, they will assess the area using ground-penetrating radar and other methods."

It remains unclear what caused the sinkhole.