Chilean authorities said this week that they are investigating the causes of a mysterious giant sinkhole that appeared on the grounds of a copper mine in the Atacama desert.
The mine is located in the Tierra Amarilla zone, in the north of the country, and is operated by the Canadian company Lundin Mining.
So far, no injuries or damage to the interior have been reported.
Media reports on the measurements of the colossal hole are inconsistent, but the Reuters news agency reported that it measures 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter and a Chilean official said it is 200 meters (656 feet) deep.
Aerial view taken on August 1, 2022, of a large sinkhole that appeared over the weekend near the mining town of Tierra Amarilla in Chile.Getty Images
The mysterious sinkhole appeared over the weekend and Chilean mining authorities sent expert personnel to the area to cordon off the area and assess what caused the hole.
The mining company has said that it is also collaborating with the investigation to determine the causes.
[A sinkhole in the bottom of a swimming pool swallows a man during a party]
"We have not detected any material down there, but we have seen the presence of a lot of water,"
said David Montenegro, director of Chile's National Geology and Mines Service.
Mining company Lundin Mining said it has temporarily suspended work in the area, while Chilean authorities are considering sending more investigators to the ground to establish the origin of the hole.
"We need to check if it is necessary to increase the personnel in order to reach a conclusion and,
above all, reassure the authorities and the people of Tierra Amarilla
about the extension of the mysterious hole," assured Montenegro.
“An unconscious and excessive extractive activity”
Local officials have pointed to mining exploitation as the cause of the hole.
Cristóbal Zúñiga, mayor of Tierra Amarilla, said that the sinkhole is a consequence of
"unconscious and excessive extractive activities."
Images show the dimension of the hole relative to nearby houses and cars.Getty Images
"Here the Earth is demonstrating for the excessive extractive activity that
is not aware of or aware of the negative effects
it may have on our territory and our community," the mayor told the Chilean magazine Página 12.
It is, he added, the "largest sinkhole we have seen in recent times."
The mayor assured that the hole "is active and continues to grow", although the mining company said that its dimensions have remained "stable" since it was detected.
[Scientists discover the origin of the giant sinkhole in Puebla]
The economy of the town of Tierra Amarilla depends eminently on mining and the mayor recognized that this copper mine is "very important for the families" that reside there.
