Giant Sinkhole Mysteriously Appears in Chille

Giant Sinkhole Mysteriously Appears in Chile
A giant sinkhole that opened up near a copper mine in Chile over the weekend is being investigated by authorities.

The 25-meter wide hole appeared at the Alcaparrosa site, about 665 kilometers north of Santiago's capital.

Chile's National Service of Geology and Mining director David Montenegro said that specialist teams have been sent to the area.
"There is a considerable distance, approximately 200 meters, to the bottom," Mr. Montenegro said.
"We haven't detected any material down there, but we have seen a lot of water."
Canadian company Lundin Mining, which operates the site, said the sinkhole had "remained stable since detection", but work in an area of the mine had been "temporarily suspended".
Sernageomin reported the closure of areas from the entrance to the work site of the Alcaparrosa mine, located near the sinkhole.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, Lundin Mining said the sinkhole did not affect any workers or community members and had “remained stable” since it was first detected. “Upon detection, the area was immediately isolated and the relevant regulatory authorities notified. There has been no impact to personnel, equipment or infrastructure,” the statement read.

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Lundin Mining said a technical analysis was underway to determine the cause of the event. “The closest home is more than 600m (1,969ft) away while any populated area or public service is almost a kilometer away from the affected zone.”

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