A large section of a soccer field in Illinois got swallowed up by a massive sinkhole and it was all caught on video.
The sinkhole developed just before 10 AM at Gordon Moore Park in the city of Alton. Surveillance video from the city shows exactly what happened.
NBC affiliate KSDK estimates that the resulting hole was roughly 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The damage is thought to be the result of a collapse at a nearby underground mine.
The video is absolutely insane. Can you imagine standing there?
ALTON SINKHOLE — Security video from Gordon F. Moore Community Park shows a sinkhole open up at the soccer fields and swallow a massive light pole.
— Joe Millitzer (@jmillitzer) June 26, 2024
The sinkhole opened Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported. pic.twitter.com/JLxV0CK5b8
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It’s A Miracle There Were No Injuries From The Soccer Field Sinkhole
Worse, can you imagine if there was a game taking place on that soccer field when the sinkhole opened up? Fortunately, there was nothing going on at the time that the Earth decided to just swallow the field.
And the benches. And the light pole.
The outlet points out that the section that disappears into the ground is “an area where benched players would sit during games.”
My God.
As it stands now, though, nobody was hurt in the incident, and the park is temporarily closed to the public.
Michael Haynes, the Director of Alton’s Parks and Recreation Department, said that the city and park residents were “fortunate”.
“It looks like something out of a movie, right?” he said. “It looks like a bomb went off.”
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Massive Hole
Drone footage posted to social media shows the extent of the damage and provides a unique view of just how far and wide the soccer field sinkhole is.
A giant sinkhole, about 100 feet wide, formed in the middle of a soccer field in Alton, Illinois, due to a mine collapse. pic.twitter.com/Sl5mKbyclj
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) June 27, 2024
That is absurd.
Haynes indicates the city spent a significant amount of money on the soccer field just a few years ago.
“It’s shocking to see especially right in the middle of our fields here that we just spent a million and a half dollars on five years ago to complete the new turf, soccer and football fields and concession stand next to it,” he said.
“It’s a little disheartening.”
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