A hole in the ground swallowed sleeping Americans – now it’s back

In small, manageable and not-so-amazing Sifner in southwest Florida, there’s been a hole in the ground since the beginning of the week. It is not just a hole, but a hole called a sinkhole, known in this country as a doolin.

The hole, about 4 meters wide, was seen by a passer-by on Monday afternoon (local time) and reported to the authorities, such as the American channel. Fox 13 mentioned. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Chief John Paul Lavandera said firefighters and police were out to assess the situation.

Engineers will now begin assessing the situation and filling the culvert with gravel and water by the end of the week. “We did it this way the first time. This way, the duct opens again in the same place, in a controlled environment,” says Lavandera. The area around the hole is double fenced and thickly lined with trees.

Hillsborough County employees inspect the sinkhole.Photo: Hillsboro County

Swallow while sleeping

And for good reason: In 2013, the hatch opened for the first time. At that time there was a house right above it. Jeffrey Bush, a resident, was literally swallowed off the face of the earth in his sleep. His brother tried to save him, but to no avail.

Attempts to save the man after that also failed. So Bosch’s body is still lying underground in Seffner today. At that time, like this time, the stream was filled with gravel and water. While this does not prevent the piercing from reopening, it does, if present, in the same location. This way further damage can be avoided.

In addition, the aforementioned double fence has been erected by the administration to ensure that no one will be injured in the event that the pit is opened.

Already in 2015, the sinkhole was opened again in the same place. Until then, the authorities filled it in the same way.

How is the sinkhole created?

Geologically speaking, Florida is made up mostly of limestone. Due to its nature, it is easily soluble and therefore particularly susceptible to natural weathering processes.

Image: Wikimedia commons

Therefore, it happens that limestone decomposes due to the infiltration of rainwater through the ground, which leads to the formation of underground caves. The land above is backward. A cavity forms just below the surface.

In the end, the cave collapses: the cave collapses, and what lies above it collapses. This is what happened to Jeffrey Bush. These sinkholes are found all over Florida, but are especially common around Tampa Bay. (cpf)

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