Humongous Sinkhole Appears in Chile, Leaving a Deep Void in The Desert



On Tuesday, experts in Chile were looking into the appearance of a massive sinkhole near a copper mine in the Atacama desert that was larger than a tennis court.

The hole, which is roughly 32 meters (104 feet) broad and twice as deep, formed over the weekend around 800 kilometers (almost 500 miles) north of Santiago, according to a statement from the National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin). Experts were sent to investigate the hole.


Around the hole in the Tierra Amarilla municipality, next to the Alcaparrosa mine run by Canadian company Lundin Mining, a 100-meter security barrier has been established.

The sinkhole has remained stable since its discovery, the business claimed in a statement, adding that there has been "no harm to workers, equipment, or infrastructure."

The Alcaparrosa underground mine's development activity in one region has been temporarily paused as a precaution, the firm stated.

David Montenegro, director of Sernageomin, stated that investigators will look for the reason behind the collapse and "guarantee that all safety measures are followed to secure the lives of workers and residents nearby the site."

The municipality of Tierra Amarilla, which has around 13,000 residents, is led by Cristian Zuniga, who informed media that the sinkhole was unusual.

Whether the collapse was caused by mining activities or anything else, he stated, "We urge that the reason be clarified."

With a quarter of the world's supply coming from Chile, it produces more copper than any other country.

Agence France Presse

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