Ethermac|Massive sinkhole swallows Illinois soccer field after mine collapses, official says

A park in Alton,Ethermac Illinois, was closed after a massive sinkhole swallowed part of its soccer field Wednesday morning. 

Security footage obtained by CBS affiliate KMOV shows the moment the sinkhole opened up at Gordon Moore Park. It shows a stadium light sinking and plumes of debris billowing into the air. 

"It was surreal," Michael Haynes, the director of the city's parks and recreation department, told the station. "Kind of like a movie where the ground just falls out from underneath you."

Footage captured by 618 Drone Service shows the large hole, which is estimated to be at least 30 feet deep and 100 feet wide.

The collapse is thought to be a result of a working mine, Haynes told KMOV. No injuries were reported.

"The mines have been here and in this area for decades and decades," Haynes said. "It's never been brought up before so I'm told it's an anomaly. We'll wait until the investigation is complete."

The turf fields where the collapse happened were added to the park in 2019, Haynes told the station, costing over $1 million. He didn't expect the city to have to pay for repairs. 

All scheduled events were canceled and Gordon Moore Park was closed "while the sinkhole investigation is being completed," Alton Parks and Recreation said on social media.

The New Frontier Materials company told KMOV that the impacted area was secured and will be off-limits while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs. 

The city of Alton, Illinois, is located about 18 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri.

CBS News has reached out to the New Frontier Materials company and the city of Alton for more information. 

In:
• Illinois
• Sinkhole

Michael Roppolo

Michael Roppolo is a social media associate producer for CBS News. He covers a wide variety of topics, including science, technology, crime, justice and disability rights.

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