In Illinois, the United States, a massive 30-meter-wide sinkhole suddenly appeared in a park recently, swallowing the middle portion of two football fields and a lighting pole, fortunately without any casualties.
According to a report by KTVI television station, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. on June 26 in Gordon F. Moore Community Park in Alton.
Surveillance footage from the park shows the central part of the soccer field collapsing abruptly, followed by the emergence of a huge sinkhole that engulfed the entire grassy area along with a light pole.
Michael Haynes, the director of Alton Parks and Recreation department, described the event as a sudden occurrence where everything seemed to be swallowed up at once.
Haynes mentioned that the sinkhole is estimated to be 100 feet (30 meters) wide and 30 feet (9 meters) deep, caused by a collapse in an underground mine about 150 feet (46 meters) below soccer fields 3 and 4. The park will be seeking solutions from geologists and engineers.
New Frontier Materials, the company operating the mines, stated that their engineers have been sent to assess the damages in the park.
The company’s representative informed KSDK television station that the affected area has been cordoned off. Access to the area will remain restricted while inspection and repairs are conducted by experts and officials.
An announcement from the Alton City Hall stated that there have been no reports of casualties, all sports events and practices have been temporarily suspended, and investigations are ongoing.
Mayor David Goins remarked, “No one was present at the site, and no injuries were reported, which is the most important thing.”
Gordon F. Moore Community Park is a significant recreational facility in the area, featuring 8 tennis courts, a 27-hole golf course, 19 soccer fields, among other amenities. The park had recently invested $1.2 million in installing new artificial turf in 2018.
Despite the closure of the affected area for some time, Haynes mentioned that other areas of the park will remain open, including the golf course.
The deepest known sinkhole in the world is the Xiaozhai Tiankeng in Fengjie County, Chongqing, China, with a depth of 662 meters and a width of 625 meters, formed in limestone.
Meanwhile, the Sansha Yongle Blue Hole in the Xisha Islands of South China Sea has a depth of 300 meters, ranking as the fourth-deepest sinkhole globally and the deepest known marine blue hole to date.