Sinkhole in Chile could be related to copper mining
A huge hole suddenly opened up in a mining area in northern Chile. The hole, about 25 meters in diameter, appeared on the territory of the Alcaparrosa mine in the Atacama region last Saturday, the National Office for Geology and Mining (Sernageomin) reported in a tweet on Monday (local time).
Photographs showed the circular cavity that opens up in the dry landscape and extends to unforeseeable depths. According to a Sernageomin graphic, the hole is 200 meters above part of the copper mine.
Canadian operator Lundin Mining confirmed the hole. The area was cordoned off and work stopped there. The hole has been “stable” since its discovery, and no movements in the ground have been detected in this context since then. Attempts are currently being made to find out what led to the formation of the hole.
Are settlements in danger?
The mayor of the affected municipality of Tierra Amarilla, Cristóbal Zúñiga, expressed concern because the excavation was near a residential area and a local health center. A hole of this magnitude has never been seen in his community, Zúñiga said in a video posted on Facebook. It must be checked to what extent the hole is related to the mining work and whether mining could pose a danger to the area and its residents. “We are requesting responses from Sernageomin and the competent authority to investigate why this happened and assess the risks of whether this could happen in another populated area of our Tierra Amarilla municipality,” Zúñiga told ADN radio. (dpa)
