Sinkholes Suddenly Opening Up In Different Areas Around the World; 2016 Not Spared of the Destructive Sinkholes
U.S., Canada, Australia and China are some of the countries that are currently baffled by the sudden appearance of sinkholes
Sinkholes are suddenly opening up in different places around the world. A sinkhole opened up in the middle of the road in Albany, New York as well as in a busy downtown street in Ottawa, Canada.
At the other side of the globe, a sinkhole about 100 meters deep suddenly opened up in a backyard of a home in Brisbane, Australia. Still another hole opened up in the middle of a busy road and swallowed people in Zhengzhou, China.
Why do sinkholes happen?
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Little is known about why sinkholes happen. Studies say that these are simply natural occurrences and could be linked to underground erosion. Soil that has eroded for years may be present under the ground and remain undetected until manmade events exacerbate their occurrence.
Such was the reason for sinkholes that appear almost every year in the United States. Florida has the most number of sinkholes and considered the most susceptible.
Sinkhole in downtown Ottawa
In June 2016, a huge sinkhole disrupted traffic in downtown Ottawa. The Canadian capital was forced to close traffic and evacuate businesses in the area because of the massive hole. The sinkhole opened up just before Ottawa was to host a summit of Canadian, Mexican and U.S. leaders.
The sinkhole opened up on a busy street; this area was the site of the construction of the city's new LRT (Light-rail transit) system. The cause of the sinkhole remained unknown but water and gas leaks were already contained in the area.
Sinkholes in China and Australia
In the sinkhole that appeared in China, the hole opened up after a strong storm. The sinkhole swallowed people, a man and a woman was lucky enough to be rescued by bystanders while another woman was simply swept away by rushing flood water that exited the sinkhole. Reports say that the sinkhole was around 99 feet long and 65 feet wide; it was also rumored to be at least 30 feet deep.
The Brisbane sinkhole was deep and rushing water was seen inside the hole. It appeared in a well-maintained yard of home in the suburbs. Residents feared for their lives as they reported that the size of the sink hole was increasing.
Meanwhile, a sinkhole that has appeared in Albany has sent people who live near the area packing. Residents fear that another hole could open up in the area soon or the hole could become bigger in the future.
