A wild video shows a massive sinkhole swallowing a soccer field Wednesday in Alton, Illinois.
The sinkhole at the soccer fields of Gordon Moore Park was about 100 feet wide, according to NBC affiliate KSDK. During its formation, the sinkhole also swallowed up a light pole and some bleachers, the outlet noted.
Surveillance footage obtained by KMOX News captured the moment it happened. In the video, the sinkhole can be seen forming as a giant light pole falls in. A large cloud of dust then appears to fill the air.
WATCH: A massive sinkhole swallows up a light pole at a soccer field in Alton, Illinois.
Credit: Alton Parks and Recreation
Click to learn more: https://t.co/YfzmZnYuEX pic.twitter.com/SZ1oqjra7f
— KMOX St. Louis News (@kmoxnews) June 26, 2024
Alton Mayor David Goins said there were no injuries during the event, according to KSDK. No one was using the soccer field when the incident occurred, the outlet reported.
“We’re waiting to hear back from the mine and see what the geologists and the engineers have to say about it,” Alton Parks and Recreation Director Michael Haynes told the outlet. “We’ll follow their lead on where to go from here. They can [determine] what happened, why it happened, how to prevent it, and how we fix what has happened here.”
Haynes told the outlet the sinkhole is roughly 30 feet deep and 100 feet wide. (RELATED: Firefighters Rescue Woman Who Fell Down 25-Foot Sinkhole).
Stunning giant sinkhole that formed in the middle of a soccer field in a park in Alton, Illinois on June 26.pic.twitter.com/rUTlNIOwPR
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 27, 2024
A New Frontier Materials (NFM) spokesperson told KSDK the sinkhole was a result of an underground mine owned by the company.
“The impacted area has been secured and will remain off limits for the foreseeable future while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs,” the NFM spokesperson reportedly said. “Safety is our top priority. We will work with the city to remediate this issue as quickly and safely as possible to ensure minimal impact on the community.”
“It looks like something out of a movie, right? It looks like a bomb went off,” Haynes told KSDK.
Haynes reportedly added that the scene is “disheartening” to see as the soccer and football fields were renovated with new turf around five years prior.
