Sinkhole swallows soccer field in Illinois in shocking video
A massive sink hole stretching 100 feet opened up in an Illinois park on Wednesday, swallowing a light pole in the middle of recreational fields and leaving a gaping, deep hole in its wake.
The terrifying moment was caught on a nearby surveillance camera Wednesday morning, showing an area between two soccer and football fields open up around a light pole, sending it tumbling down in and releasing plumes of smoke at Gordon Moore Park in the city of Alton, located about 18 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri.
The hole is approximately 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep, Alton Parks and Recreation Director Michael Haynes said, according to NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis.
“It looks like something out of a movie, right? It looks like a bomb went off,” Haynes told the outlet.
Luckily, no one was on the field at the time and no one was hurt, according to KSDK.
The sinkhole appears to be the result of an underground mine.
A spokesperson for New Frontier Materials, which owns an underground mine, told the affiliate: “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.”
“No one was injured in the incident, which has been reported to officials at the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) in accordance with applicable regulations. 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.”
NBC News has reached out to the city of Alton and New Frontier Materials for further comment.
Gordon Moore Park is temporarily closed “while the sinkhole investigation is being completed,” Alton Parks and Recreation shared on social media.
Marlene Lenthang
Breaking News Reporter