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© Northern York County Regional PoliceThe sinkhole is seen inside the building Thursday.
It was 5:40 a.m. Thursday when Bob Sanders, a plant supervisor at Oldcastle Industrial Minerals in Jackson Township, heard what he called a "large bang" while sitting in his office.

Sanders discovered that a massive sinkhole - measuring an estimated 40 feet by 40 feet - had opened up inside the building at 550 S. Biesecker Road. The building, which houses Sanders' office, a maintenance shop and storage for parts, sits near South Biesecker Road.

Everyone inside the building evacuated safely and the fire department; and York Water Company and PennDOT were called, Sanders said. In addition, the building was cordoned off and South Biesecker Road was closed at its intersection with Route 30.

"There was water running," in the hole, Sanders said. "Is that what was causing it? We don't know, but we shut it off."

Sanders said this isn't the first time the company, which operates a quarry, has had a sinkhole on its property.

"It happens, because we have an underground mine here," he said.

About an hour after the incident was called in to York County 911, fire departments cleared from the scene, handing it over to Oldcastle. PennDOT, who was also on hand because the sinkhole was close to Biesecker Road, also relinquished control to Oldcastle, according to PennDOT spokeswoman Fritzi Schreffler.

"We're not responsible for it," Schreffler said. "Our guys went out there earlier today. Although it (the sinkhole) approaches the edge of the road, the issue of the sinkhole is on the property of Oldcastle."

Mark Snyder, president of Oldcastle's Mid-Atlantic region, issue a statement Thursday, which confirmed the sinkhole and stated there were no injuries.

"We have no further information or comment at this time until a further investigation can take place," Snyder wrote.