Nature & Environment

Huge sinkhole opens up underneath football pitch in Illinois

By T.K. Randall
June 29, 2024 ·  1 comment

The sinkhole opened up within seconds. Image Credit: CCTV / Alton Parks and Rec The terrifying incident, which took place at Alton's Gordon Moore Park in southern Illinois, saw a huge hole approximately 100ft across suddenly open up in the middle of the pitch without warning.

Within seconds, an entire light pole, along with benches and a fair amount of artificial turf, had disappeared into the hole which was estimated to be around 50ft deep.

Fortunately, the sinkhole had opened at a time when nobody was on the pitch.The area has since been cordoned off to prevent anyone from wandering in and falling down the hole.

It is thought that the sinkhole was caused by subsidence from nearby underground limestone mining.

Such incidents can prove fatal, as evidenced by the case of Jeff Bush who, in 2013, had been sleeping in his bed when a sinkhole opened up beneath his house , swallowing him up.

Despite extensive search and rescue efforts, no trace of him was ever found.


Source: BBC News | Comments (1)

Tags: Sinkhole