A mysterious sinkhole appeared in Chile over the weekend in a mining area operated by Canada’s Lundin Mining.
Chilean authorities are concerned that the sinkhole appears to be growing in size since it was found Saturday, according to a video shared by BBC News. The hole was roughly 82 feet wide at the initial discovery and almost perfectly round, as seen in the footage below.
By Tuesday, the hole had grown to 105 feet, which is about 11 feet longer than an NBA court, USA Today reported. The exact cause of the hole has yet to be discovered, but a technical analysis is underway, according to the outlet.
“This is the largest sinkhole we have seen in recent times,” Mayor Cristobal Zuniga of the nearby Tierra Amarilla told news agencies. “We are very worried because it is active and keeps on growing. Our community had never seen this.”
At the time of writing, the hole was estimated to be nearly 650 feet deep, BBC News continued. Lundin Mining said the hole has not impacted any nearby residents, nor anyone who works for the mining company in the area, the BBC noted. (RELATED: As If Times Weren’t Scary Enough, Now Sinkholes Are Swallowing Vans In NYC)
Enormous Sinkhole Discovered With Shocking Interiorhttps://t.co/LgCcKBgJjn
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 12, 2022
“Upon detection, the area was immediately isolated and the relevant regulatory authorities notified,” Lundin Mining wrote in a statement. “There has been no impact to personnel, equipment or infrastructure.”
Shares for the company dropped to their lowest value in a year after news of the sinkhole was released online, according to the Financial Post.