Sinkholes
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Massive sinkhole widens even further in Solikamsk, Russia

Yuliya Fedorinova
bloomberg.com
Fri, 06 Feb 2015 14:39 UTC
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© GettySolikamsk sinkhole
Flooding at a PAO Uralkali potash mine in Russia's Perm region has increased four-fold in the last two weeks, and a nearby sinkhole is almost 300 feet across.

The average brine inflow to the Solikamsk-2 mine increased from 200 cubic meters an hour to about 820 cubic meters an hour between Jan. 22 and Feb. 6, the world's largest potash miner said today in a statement. A sinkhole that opened up east of the mine, swallowing local summer homes, has widened to 87 meters (285 feet) by 58 meters and is about 75 meters deep, it said.

Comment: See this earlier report from November 2014: Sinkhole opens up near old mine in Russia's Ural Mountains

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Sinkhole injures two in Surprise, Arizona

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy and Judson Tomaiko
The Arizona Republic
Sat, 14 Feb 2015 20:57 UTC
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© Surprise Police DepartmentA sinkhole in Surprise injured two when their car fell into it Friday afternoon, according to officials.
A sinkhole in Surprise sent two people to the hospital Friday and forced an overnight road closure, authorities said.

The sinkhole on 163rd Avenue about a 1/2 mile north of Grand Avenue was about as wide as a lane of traffic. Attempts to repair the damage were underway Friday afternoon.

Two people received minor injuries when the vehicle they were in entered the sinkhole, according to a Surprise Fire Department official. The pair were taken to Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City for treatment.

Traffic was initially moving through the area with restrictions. Officials closed 163rd Avenue overnight and the road was expected to be off limits to traffic at least through this morning.

It wasn't clear when repairs would be complete and the road restrictions would be cleared.
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Huge sinkhole opens up in riverbed, India

Hoskote Nagabhushanam
Deccan Chronicle
Sat, 31 Jan 2015 15:22 UTC
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A 15 feet deep and 31 feet wide sinkhole has formed in the Chitravathi riverbed near Lakshumpalli in Yellanur mandal of Anantapur district, confirming fears that groundwater in the area has been exploited to alarming levels.

The groundwater department, after a thorough study, noticed that cavities of limestone deposits beneath the riverbed had become brittle due to pumping of groundwater by drilling borewells even at depths of 800 feet.

The sinkhole formed near Lakshumpalli on Thursday with a loud sound and residents of surrounding villagers feared that it was an earthquake. The Yellanur mandal, near Pulivendula of Kadapa district, depends on the Chitravathi river's water.

With poor rainfall for the last 12 years in it's upstream, the river hasn't even been flowing at its minimum level in Yellanur mandal. Farmers thus have been dependant on borewells that they have been digging near the riverbed, leading to over exploitation of groundwater.
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Family of 5 escapes car swallowed by sinkhole in Bladensburg, Maryland

Zoe Szathmary
Daily Mail, UK
Tue, 27 Jan 2015 21:51 UTC
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A sinkhole on a Maryland road Tuesday morning almost completely absorbed a family's car
A sinkhole gobbled up one family's car in Maryland on Tuesday morning.

Darwin Mendoza says he was in the car with his 8-year-old son, and two daughters, a 4-year-old and a 6-month-old baby, when it hit the hole as he was backing out of his driveway. The hole was hidden by water.

Mendoza says at first, only one tire sank, and that he and his children got out of the car. They then watched as the sinkhole got bigger and swallowed the car whole.

'They were running to leave. Thank God they didn't put their seat belts on. It helped them get out of the car,' neighbor Luz Martinez told NBC Washington.

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Miracle escape for couple as watery sinkhole swallows their car in Tampa, Florida

Zoe Szathmary
Daily Mail, UK
Tue, 20 Jan 2015 21:08 UTC
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The car was removed from the water around 4am on Monday
A car plunged into a massive, watery sinkhole late Sunday evening - forcing the couple inside the vehicle to flee as it continued to be engulfed.

Ashley Guzman was with her boyfriend Christopher Atkinson when the incident took place at the intersection of North 20th Street and East Yukon Street in Tampa, Florida, she told WTVT.

'Right when I got out the car it just - like the floor just started cracking towards me,' she told the affiliate station. 'That's when I started panicking more and I started yelling at him so he could get out.'

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Horse rescued from sinkhole in Arroyo Grande, California

Zoe Szathmary
Daily Mail, UK
Wed, 21 Jan 2015 20:53 UTC
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Rescued: This horse was eventually able to get out of a sinkhole on Tuesday
Fire officials worked together to help a horse get out of a sinkhole it fell into near Arroyo Grande, California on Tuesday.

Cal Fire San Luis Obispo's Twitter account posted multiple updates on the horse's rescue Tuesday.

The fire department first tweeted at 11:34am on a report of a 'horse stuck in hole' on Sunray Place.

The department quickly updated at 11:53am, writing 'Horse is trapped in a sink hole. The incident is off of Noyes Rd. USAR [Urban Search and Rescue] team is responding. Veterinarian has been contacted.'
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Sinkhole in Cleveland swallows plow truck

Kaily Cunningham
fox8.com
Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:07 UTC
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A plow truck was on its route in Cleveland when it hit a steel plate on the road, displacing the plate and sending the truck falling into the sinkhole.

The steel plate was from the Cleveland Water Department and was not marked properly. The sinkhole was in place so the property owner's plumber could make repairs to the home.

After the truck fell, it was removed from the hole shortly after. The plate has since been replaced.

The driver was taken to the hospital as a precaution and there were no other injuries.

Comment: Heat map for sinkholes for the past year -



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Sinkhole opens up on Scottish golf course


thepostgame.com
Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:00 UTC
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The sinkhole at Traigh Golf Club
That 16-foot putt for birdie just got a whole lot easier. Scotland's Traigh Golf Club woke up one morning to find a large sinkhole had developed on the course.

The 14-foot hole was created by erosion from a broken drainpipe underground. Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the golf course's troubles are far from over: The hole will cost about 20,000 British pounds, or more than $13,000 USD.

That's a huge cost that the golf course, which has been used for more than 100 years, cannot afford. And since insurance isn't likely to cover the cost of the hole, it could spell the end of the beautiful course.

"Without repairing this pipe about half of the golf course will revert to bog and this would effectively be the end of our golf course," said Traigh Golf Club spokesman Alec Stewart to GolfClubManagement.net.

Even if the sinkhole is repaired, the erosion could be a harbinger for similar problems elsewhere on the course. The club is urgently seeking out any sources of funding to stay afloat.
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Massive sinkhole swallows car just moments after driver makes dramatic last-gasp exit, China

Dominic Smith
Daily Mirror, UK
Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:47 UTC
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© CENHole: Sheng's car tipped inside this massive crater
Lucky motorist Sheng Hsu was driving in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou when his car was pulled into the hole

These incredible pictures show the moment a massive sinkhole swallowed a car just moments after the driver was able to escape in the nick of time.

Sheng Hsu, 43, was on his way to work when the huge chasm appeared in the road.

Luckily, he was able to make a dramatic, last-gasp exit from the vehicle.

He said: "I had just slowed down because there was a bit of a queue and leaned in to switch the radio on.
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30-foot sinkhole opens up in Lafayette, Colorado

Marc Stewart
thedenverchannel.com
Mon, 12 Jan 2015 18:47 UTC
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A massive sinkhole suddenly opened up on a street in Lafayette on Monday morning, collapsing into an old mine shaft and nearly swallowing an SUV.

The 30-foot by 15-foot hole on East Cleveland Street near Foote Avenue is between 15 and 20 feet deep and partially filled with water.

A man who lives in the area had an extremely close call when his car almost fell in early this morning.

"In the moment, my truck was almost on top of me," said Lafayette resident Aurelio Zambrano.

Zambrano's white Jeep was trapped on the edge of the massive sinkhole.

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