Surveillance cameras captured a sinkhole swallowing a recreational field Wednesday in Alton, Illinois.
The video shows a light pole disappearing from view as a sinkhole opened between a soccer and football field in Gordon Moore Park around 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.
No one was hurt in the incident, according to Alton mayor David Goins (h/t KSDK 5 On Your Side.)
A giant sinkhole, about 100 feet wide, formed in the middle of a soccer field in Alton, Illinois, due to a mine collapse. <a href="https://t.co/Sl5mKbyclj">pic.twitter.com/Sl5mKbyclj</a>
The park was closed Thursday as officials inspected the hole, which is approximately 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep, Alton Parks and Recreation Director Michael Haynes told NBC News’ Marlene Lenthang.
Haynes said that the city had spent $1.5 million on renovating the turf “five years ago,” per KSDK.
The incident was caused by the collapse of a mine underneath the park, Haynes said.
New Frontier Materials, the company that owns the mine, said the area would “remain off limits for the forseeable future” in a statement.
Mine subsidence occurs when the ground sinks into an underground tunnel or shaft dug for reasons such as the mining of coal, of which Illinois is one of the United States’ top producers.

source

Post Views: 23