Large sinkholes swallow 31 houses in Tucapel, an Arica’s neighborhood.
I would say the sinkhole situation for these people is as bad as in Florida or even worse! The entire population of this small community is literally being swallowed by the earth!
Some 31 homes are affected by these cavities which form underground. The caves are up to five meters (15 feet) deep and the ground is unstable. Some holes are even interconnected with other tunnels in adjoining houses. What a mess!
Sorry, both videos are in Spanish!
It seems that these craters formed because of the soil (clay?, salt?) which quickly dilutes with water. But what about the April 2014 8.1 Mag earthquake? It struck near Arica and the tremors were probably also felt in Tucapel. This massive quake could have produced cracks in the ground, no? Could it explain that these large sinkholes swallow this entire neighborhood?
Well, the quake may have enhanced the sinkhole problematic in this particular community. But the problem is not new and has been first reported in 1997.
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