Sinkholes and soccer fields do not mix.
A soccer field in Illinois found out the hard way after a giant sinkhole swallowed the ground up and left a gaping 100-foot-wide crater in the middle of a community park.
Surveillance footage in the area was in the perfect spot to capture the frightening moment when the 100-foot-wide sinkhole suddenly started to take shape and swallow the artificial turf as well as one of the soccer field’s light towers.
The most frightening part is that the light pole fell straight down and disappeared.
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According to NBC News, this park is located at Gordon Moore Park in the city of Alton, about 18 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri.
As the video illustrates, a huge plume of dust and debris could be seen shooting up in the air above the soccer field as it left a giant hole in the middle of the field.
Luckily, nobody was on the field at the time of the collapse, and no one was hurt.
All scheduled events at the park have been canceled.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has called on the Federal Office of Mine Safety to investigate the collapse.
“The residents of Madison County deserve a thorough and well-communicated investigation into this incident to hasten their return to normalcy,” Pritzker said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “I trust that the DOL will act efficiently in exploring the role of previous mining operations in creating this incident and in finding solutions to ensure community safety.”
Alton Parks and Recreation Director Reveals Why Sinkhole Swallowed Soccer Field in Illinois
A soccer field at an Illinois park won’t be open for a while after a huge sinkhole opened in the middle of the field.
Alton Parks and Recreation Director Michael Haynes told NBC News that the sinkhole emerged because of “a mine collapse deep underground,” adding, “New Frontier Materials is responsible.”
