...
By Juliana Rose Pignataro
News Director
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A massive sinkhole opened up in Rome Wednesday, swallowing cars and prompting evacuations in the area. The hole, more than 30 feet wide, appeared in the suburban district of Balduina.
About 60 people evacuated the area after the sinkhole opened up, The Independent reported. The evacuated residents came from two nearby apartments, which were vacated as a precaution. No one was injured when the land collapsed.
Pictures from the scene showed parked cars inside the gaping hole in the ground, some crushed and upside down. Firefighters and emergency workers were deployed to the area in an effort to secure and stabilize the land and determine the cause of the sinkhole.
Read More on World
A pipeline was damaged in the land collapse and officials brought in clean water for residents until it could be fixed.
The official cause of the sinkhole remained unknown, though workers in the area were doing construction to create an underground parking garage and new buildings. A water leak, which may have been caused by the construction, was also reported nearby.
"In the last days while the workers were working, I felt the floor of the house tremble, and we were very worried," an unidentified resident told Italy's Rai News.
An investigation was underway to determine the cause.
"Anyone who made an error will pay," said Mayor Virginia Raggi, according to Italy's The Local.
Sinkholes can occur for a variety of reasons, including the addition or subtraction of water to the ground, weathering or heavy loads and vibrations on the surface of the land. A variety of different factors combined can also contribute to the opening of a sinkhole, according to the Department of Environmental Protection. In certain regions, like Florida, sinkholes are more common due to the composition of the bedrock.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines