Couple get hire car stuck in sinkhole on way to airport in Adelaide

A couple's drive to the airport has taken a shocking turn after their hire car fell into a large sinkhole in Adelaide.

The crater at Hyde Park, caused by a burst water main, swallowed the front wheels of the Kia van, which then became stuck for two hours.

A burst main also caused an early-morning deluge on Park Street.

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"We're just standing here watching the car sink and there was no one here, like I was directing traffic initially," witness Sanja Nikolic said.

The water threatened homes and flowed into a cellar below a young family's home as other residents watched it move dangerously close.

The visitors caught on their way to the airport were from the Northern Territory and making their way to return the rental car before a flight home.

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They first drove into what was a small ditch, and soon there was no turning back.

"We could still see the number plate of the car, like it was submerged maybe that much, but then over time, it's been maybe an hour," Nikolic said.

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Both the driver and her passenger managed to get out of the van and caught an Uber to the airport.

Two hours later, SA Water crews finally cut the supply, leaving about 50 homes without water.

The car was eventually pulled from the crater.