This is the bizarre moment soil turned into liquid, swallowing a digger as its driver jumped to safety in Indonesia.

Footage shows shifting soil, plants, and heavy equipment being engulfed by mud in Central Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi, on Saturday, November 2.

Officials said the incident began during road improvement work for a palm oil company on Jalan Desa Saloadak in Tobadak District.

Rezky Ilhamsyah, Coordinator of the Data and Information Center of the Central Mamuju BPBD, added: 'The road in Saloadak Village collapsed due to liquefaction. This caused a piece of heavy equipment to be washed away.

' The excavator suffered severe damage after being buried by collapsed road material. Fortunately, the excavator operator managed to survive the disaster.'

Rezky added that about 200 metres of the village were affected, and traffic access from both directions is currently impassable.

No injuries were reported following the incident. Police were on-site to monitor the situation and secure the area.

Liquefaction is a geological phenomenon that occurs when saturated soil loses its strength and stiffness due to applied stress, such as during an earthquake or other ground-shaking events. It typically happens in loose, water-saturated soils, especially in sandy or silty materials.

In 2018, soil liquefaction was also blamed for building collapses in Indonesia following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake.