GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Another Hole Forms At Inskip Point, Queensland, Australia - Months After A 330-EET WIDE FOOTBALL-FIELD-SIZED Sinkhole Devoured The Same Beach! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Another major erosion event along Inskip Point beach, Queensland. Second one in six months.
Twitter: Josh Bavas

March 1, 2016 - QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA - Another collapsing sandy hole has formed at Inskip Point at the northern end of rainbow beach.

According to Queensland Parks and Wildlife the activity started at the surface of the sand about 8am and ended at 10.15am.

Twitter: Josh Bavas

A picture from the Seven News chopper of the sinkhole that has formed at Inskip Point© Seven News

The service is describing it as an erosion event better termed as a "near-shore landslide" than a sinkhole.

The erosion has not affected any campsites nor access to the barge to Fraser Island.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has erected traffic barriers and warning signs around the sites.


WATCH: Earth moves again at campsite.

A statement on the parks and wildlife website said it was likely to be "another occurrence of the natural phenomenon which occurred in September 2015 at Inskip".

In that incident 300 people had to be evacuated after campsites came under threat, and some cars that were swallowed up by sinking sand are still underwater.


WATCH: The first incident at Inskip in 2015.

"It is caused by the undermining of part of the shoreline by tidal flow, waves and currents," the statement said.

"When this occurs below the waterline, the shoreline loses support and a section slides seaward leaving a hole, the edges of which retrogress back towards the shore."

Members of the public were urged to observe the warnings in place around the area.

Rangers were monitoring the hole that has formed. - Brisbane Times.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Two Houses Collapse On Busy Road After Landslide In China - Caused By Torrential Rainfall! [VIDEO]

December 12, 2015 - CHINA - A landslide has caused two houses to collapse in the middle of a road in Guizhou province in southwest China.

The cars luckily had a few seconds to react to what was happening, as the façades crumbled and the whole construction cascaded down.

No one was hurt, partly thanks to bystanders, who rushed ahead to warn the motorists not to proceed further.

Thankfully, no one was inside the buildings, as the residents were told to relocate earlier.

The collapse was caused by torrential rains.


WATCH: Landslide causing house crash onto road in China.

- RT.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Sinkholes Keep Popping Up Across The United States - Sinkholes Closes Highway In Northwest Oregon!

© KEZI

December 11, 2015 - OREGON, UNITED STATES - Highway 22 in Yamhill County remains closed after heavy rain eroded the highway and created a sinkhole.

The highway is closed about 2.5 miles east of Dolph Junction in Yamhill County.

The sinkhole stretches across the highway and is believed to be five feet deep.

Engineers for the Oregon Department of Transportation are assessing the roadway damage in an effort to expedite repairs. An emergency contract may be awarded in the next several days and repairs could be underway late this week.

In addition, a hazardous materials crew will need to remove diesel that spilled from the ruptured fuel tank of a semi that went into the sinkhole earlier this morning. Until the roadway is repaired, travelers should plan on using or 18 as an alternate route. - KEZI 9 News.

Sinkhole in Gresham.  © KGW

After heavy rains pounded the Portland metro area, a sinkhole near Mount Hood Community College emerged, gutting two lanes of Northeast Kane Drive in Gresham.

The sinkhole was located at Northeast Kane Drive and 23rd Avenue. The road was barricaded off between Division Street and Stark Street.

WATCH: Sinkhole opens up in Gresham.

Nearby Mount Hood Community College was closed Monday night and Tuesday. The school will reopen Wednesday even though Kane Road remains closed.

The road will be closed for several weeks for major repairs. Drivers should find an alternate route.

Officials were working to determine exactly what caused the sinkhole. - KGW News.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Massive Landslide Filmed On Manali-Chandigarh Highway, India - Had Tourists Running For Their Lives! [VIDEOS]

December 8, 2015 - INDIA - Several tourists on had a narrow escape when a part of a mountain near Chandigarh-Manali highway collapsed.

The 31-second video, recorded by a mobile phone camera, shows tourists running for their lives.

Initially, it was said that the landslide was caused due to an earthquake today in the region, but later it was clarified that the incident has no connection with the earthquake.


WATCH: Landslides at Manali-Chandigarh highway.

A strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Tajikistan in Central Asia on Monday with tremors being felt in North India. Tremors were also felt in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

At the same time, tremors were felt in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

As per the US Geological Survey the epicentre of the quake was 111 km (65 miles) southwest of Karakul at a depth of 28.7 km. - Zee News.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: "It Felt Like I Was Drowning" - Huge Sinkhole Swallows Up Motorcyclist In Kempton Park, South Africa!

Bystanders help Eugene van der Walt to get his bike out of the hole.

December 7, 2015 - SOUTH AFRICA - A 46-year-old motorcyclist had a lucky escape on Thursday morning when he drove into a deep hole at the intersection of Monument Road and Commissioner Street.

But as big as his surprise was when he suddenly disappeared underneath the water, so much bigger was a motorist's surprise when a man suddenly appeared from what he believed to be a big pool of water on the road.

Eugene van der Walt (46) spoke to Express on the scene. He said he was on his way to Gavendish Glen on his Scrambler when he drove into the hole.

"I was on my way to draw money and had just polished my bike, as I was going for my driver's licence. When I got to the intersection, the light was green for me.

"I saw a lot of mud and water and thought I would drive through it slowly, because I didn't want to get my bike dirty. Next thing I knew I was underwater, it felt like I was drowning," said Van der Walt.


WATCH: Bike disappears in sinkhole.

He managed to climb out of the hole with only a few scratches. "I walked home, which was just around the corner, took a shower and came back. I called my friends for help to get my bike out of the hole."

A motorist, waiting at the red light on Commissioner Street at the time, said he could not believe what he saw when Van der Walt suddenly appeared in front of him.

The metro police closed the road on both sides of Monument Road and Commissioner Street.

The hole was caused as a result of a water pipe burst underneath the road on Thursday morning around 6am.

Lufuno Netshiluvhi, Kempton park depot manager at the department of water and sanitation, said: "A fire hydrant burst on the corner of Pascoe and Commissioner streets last night. The hydrant was closed, which resulted in pressure building up in the pipes. This pressure caused the pipe to burst on Monument Road, causing an overflow of water, which affected the road surface. We have turned off the water to repair the pipe."

"Surrounding areas such as Nimrod Park, Aston Manor and Kempton Park ext 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been affected. The water is expected to be off until 2pm this afternoon. Water tankers will be supplied at Allen park and Gavendish Glen Checkers," said DA ward councillor, Jaco Terblanche.

"After we have fixed the water pipe, the roads department will close the hole," said Netshiluvhi.

He could not say when the road would be repaired. - Kempton Express.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Sinkholes Keep Popping Up In The United States - 90-Feet Deep Sinkhole Closes Park In Florida!

© WTSP

December 6, 2015 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - A Tampa-area park was closed Wednesday after a sinkhole appeared in one of its roads, county officials said.

The crater in Hillsborough County's Lake Park, about 15 miles north of Tampa, is about 6 feet across and 90 feet deep, according to measurements from a geotechnical engineering firm. No buildings are threatened.

Sinkholes are common in Florida because the peninsula is made up of porous carbonate rocks such as limestone that store and help move water underground. Over time those subsurface rocks can dissolve and the weight of sand and dirt above them can cause the area to collapse, creating a sinkhole.


WATCH: 90-foot sinkhole closes Lake Park in Lutz.

Hillsborough County, where both Lutz and Tampa are located, is the third most sinkhole-prone county in Florida, the Insurance Journal said four years ago. Of the counties in the top five, only Marion, where Ocala is located, is outside the Tampa Bay area.

Lake Park encompasses 589 acres — almost a square mile — and has five lakes, cypress swamps, pine flatwoods and dense stands of hardwood forests, according to Hillsborough County's website.

The entire park will be closed for an unspecified time until the sinkhole can be filled and the surrounding area reinforced, county officials said in email. - 10News.

MONUMENTAL GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Massive Sinkholes Spread To Three More Villages In Kadapa, India - Causing Sleepless Nights To Its Residents; Geological Survey Of India Baffled By The Phenomenon! [VIDEOS]

The emergence of fresh sinkholes is giving sleepless nights to people in the district.

December 2, 2015 - KADAPA, INDIA - The mysterious formation of huge sinkholes with deafening noise in three villages in Chintakommadinne mandal of Kadapa district has spread to three more villages in the mandal, spreading fear among villagers.

Even as the Geological Survey of India officials are analysing the causes for the phenomenon in Nayanoripalle and Peddamusalreddipalle and near Sri Bugga Malleswara Swamy temple in Chintakommadinne mandal a fortnight ago, the emergence of fresh sinkholes in Goodavandlapalle, Buggaletipalle and Buggalapalle in the mandal is giving sleepless nights to its residents.

Meanwhile, officials plunged into action on the orders of Kadapa District Collector K.V. Ramana and evacuated people from Nayanoripalle and Peddamusalreddipalle following the formation of sinkholes of a diameter of 25 feet. Land sunk, forming 15 feet-wide and seven-feet deep circular sinkholes at four places in Buggaletipalle and Buggalapalle villages in Chintakommadinne mandal on Sunday.


WATCH: Kadapa - Four more land sinkholes found in CK Dinne mandal.

A farmer, Rasool Reddy, who got his field ploughed with a tractor on Saturday, was baffled finding a large sinkhole of 20 feet diameter filled with water on Sunday. Three similar sinkholes were formed in the banana plantation in Takkoli Lakshmipathi Reddy, damaging drip irrigation equipment and engulfing nearly 40 banana plants. Chintakommadinne Tahsildar Gunabhushan Reddy and MPDO Ramachandra Reddy examined the sinkholes along with a surveyor.

School demolition

Last week, a large sinkhole had formed in front of the mandal parishad school building at Nayanoripalle village, and the school compound wall, a water tank and some trees fell into it. On the Collector's orders, officials took up demolition of the mandal parishad school building at Nayanoripalle, as its condition was bad. The school has 33 students and classes were held for them in a mosque in the village, according to the Chintakommadinne Tahsildar.

"People of several villages of Chintakommadinne are scared of entering their agricultural fields and fearing formation of sinkholes. The government must press into service scientists to ascertain the reasons for the formation of sinkholes and dispel fears of people," Ramamohan Reddy, a farmer from Buggalapalle, said. - The Hindu.

 

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Sinkholes Keep Popping Up Across The United States - Giant Sinkhole Causes Detour In Wyoming, Michigan!

Kenowa Avenue sinkhole. © Phil Dawson

November 27, 2015 - MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES - Some shoppers in Grandville and Wyoming are dealing with an unexpected detour near Rivertown Crossings Mall.

A large section of Kenowa Avenue between Jacobs and 56th Streets collapsed Thursday afternoon, creating a huge sinkhole. And just a few seconds earlier, people in the neighborhood say a vehilce drove over the exact spot.

"Some guy said he was driving over and he heard it and he looked back and the road was just gone," say members of the Lyons family, visiting the area for Thanksgiving. "He said there was a crack in the middle of the road and as he was going over it he heard it start to crumble so he quickly got over it."

© Screenshot via WZZM

"I'm surprised there wasn't a car at the bottom of it," added rich TenBarge, also visiting for Thanksgiving dinner. "It's big enough and deep enough to hold a vehicle."

At first glance the Public Works crew at the site suspects a broken water main caused the cave in, but that isnt certain yet. Its also not known how long that section of Kenowa Avenue will be closed for repairs. - WZZM13.

 

MONUMENTAL GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Major Planetary Transformations - FOOTBALL-FIELD-SIZED Sinkhole Devours Australian Beach, Nearly 330 FEET WIDE; Montrosity May Grow Even BIGGER! [PHOTOS]

© lifesavingqld / Instagram

November 26, 2015 - AUSTRALIA - A gigantic sinkhole has carved out an impressive chunk out of an island in southeast Queensland, Australia.

The monstrosity that swallowed part of the beach is the size of a football field. Life-savers have warned people to stay away.

A spokeswoman for Surf Life Saving Queensland told AP the gaping hole on North Stradbroke Island is 100 meters wide (328.084 feet) and opened up at some point on Wednesday. It’s a long way from any areas patrolled by life guards.

“There are really strong currents in the water and the sand is quite unstable,” the spokeswoman said.

Senior lifeguard Michael Bates told ABC the hole is “a little bit smaller than a football field,” but experts think it may grow even further.

A ledge could be seen at Jumpinpin bar a month ago, before the hole opened up. © Brooke Byrne

The spot at Jumpinpin bar, on the north of the island, is popular with fishermen and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts, but no one was there on Wednesday.

"It is almost like a swirling effect in the water that is created by the change of tides and there is unstable sand in the area," Bates continued.

North Straddie now believed to be affected by significant coastal erosion from strong tidal changes, after consultation with land managers.

— Surf Life Saving QLD (@lifesavingqld) November 26, 2015

Reported Sinkhole at North Straddie is now being described as an 'underwater Avalanche' by experts @9NewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/Y9ir6CFXKg

— Jess Millward (@JessMillward9) November 26, 2015

"It is not a safe area for swimming at all, due to it being so unstable, unpredictable and varying depth and the strong water movement.

It is going to make it a very massive hazard."Despite the scare, researcher Konrad Beinssen of the University of Queensland says sinkholes are actually quite common at Jumpinpin.

 WATCH: North Stradbroke Island sinkhole.

Beinssen, who wrote a research paper on another sinkhole in September, says the conditions are just right here.

The sinkholes “occur when an underwater sand cliff retrogresses backwards and sometimes it reaches the shore and collapses the beach,” he said. - RT.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Large Sinkhole Appears At Lindal-in-Furness, UK - About 200 FEET DEEP; Swallows Up A Cabin And Two Cars!

November 25, 2015 - UNITED KINGDOM - A large sinkhole opened up near Lindal-in-Furness over the weekend - swallowing a 20ft cabin, a wagon and a Nissan Micra.

The hole, believed to be about 200ft deep, appeared as heavy rain battered the region and is thought to be in the location of an old iron ore mine. - The Westmorland Gazette.

 

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Nearly A Dozen Large Sinkholes Open Up In Andhra Pradesh, India - Government Evacuates Villagers!

Kadapa District Collector K.V. Ramana inspecting a large sinkhole formed in Nayanoripalle village in Kadapa District on Sunday.

The Hindu

November 23, 2015 - ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA - The revenue and police officials of Kadapa exhorted the villagers of Nayanoripalle in Chintakommadinne mandal in Kadapa District to vacate the village and move over to safer places and large sinkholes formed in the village could endanger lives.

Kadapa District Collector K.V. Ramana and Geological Survey of India officials of Hyderabad visited Nayanoripalle village on Sunday and inspected the multiple sinkholes. Earlier, officials of the mining and groundwater departments conducted a survey on the Collector's directions and detected limestone deposits at a depth of 30 feet.

Heavy rains since a week resulted in dissolving of the limestone and soil sunk to depths of 30 feet, the officials deduced. The villagers were panic-stricken with the formation of sinkholes of a diameter of 25 metres at several places in Nayanoripalle.

Nearly a dozen large sink holes were formed near Sri Bugga Malleswara Swamy temple and a mini-water tank atop a 15-foot high cement concrete pedestal sunk into the ground. A sinkhole was formed in front of the mandal parishad school in Nayanoripalle and the school compound wall, a surface-level water tank and a couple of trees fell into it. The sinkhole formation was coupled with defeaning sounds spreading panic among the villagers.

As sinkholes were forming with deafening sounds, the officials called upon the residents to vacate the village, as continuing to live there could endanger lives. Already over a dozen families left the village to take shelter in the houses of their relatives elsewhere. The revenue and police officials are proposing to evacuate the villagers who are continuing in Nayanoripalle. - The Hindu.

 

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Devastating Landslide Near Jade Mine In Northern Myanmar - At Least 90 People Killed!

FILE: This photo taken on October 4, 2015 shows freelance miners digging for raw jade stones in piles of waste rubble dumped by mechanical diggers,
next to a jade mine in Hpakant, Myanmar's Kachin State © Ye Aung Thu / AFP

November 22, 2015 - MYANMAR - At least 90 people have been killed in a huge landslide while searching for precious jade in a remote mining area of northern Myanmar, officials say.

"We found 79 dead bodies on November 21 (and) 11 today so the total so far is 90," said Nilar Myint, an official from the local administrative authorities in Hpakant, northern Kachin state.

Nilar Myint added that the rescue operation was ongoing.

The Global New Light of Myanmar earlier reported that at least 30 dead bodies were retrieved from the landslide site, quoting local officials and media reports.

Rescuers battled to dig through the mountains of loose rubble at the site on Sunday, with fears that the toll could rise further.

 This photo taken on Oct. 4, 2015, shows construction vehicles being used by workers at a jade mine in Myanmar's Kachin State. © Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

It is the latest deadly accident to affect Myanmar's secretive multi-billion-dollar jade industry in war-torn Kachin.

Those killed were thought to have been scavenging through a mountain of waste rubble dumped by mechanical diggers used by the mining firms in the area to extract Myanmar's most valuable precious stone.

Landslides are a common hazard in the area as people living off the industry's waste, driven by the hope that they might find a chunk of jade worth thousands of dollars, pick their way across perilous mounds under cover of darkness.

Scores have been killed this year alone as local people say the mining firms, many of which are linked to the country's junta-era military elite, have scaled up their operations in Kachin.

Myanmar is the source of virtually all of the world's finest jadeite, an almost translucent green stone that is prized above almost all other materials in neighbouring China.

© Google Maps

In an October report, advocacy group Global Witness estimated that the value of jade produced in 2014 alone was $31 billion, the equivalent of nearly half the country's GDP.

But that figure is around 10 times the official $3.4 billion sales of the precious stone last year, in an industry that has long been shrouded in secrecy with much of the best jade thought to be smuggled directly to China.

Local people in Hpakant complain of a litany of abuses associated with the mining industry, including the frequency of accidents and land confiscations.

The area has been turned into a moonscape of environmental destruction as huge diggers gouge the earth looking for jade.

Itinerant miners are drawn from all parts of Myanmar by the promise of riches and become easy prey for drug addiction in Hpakant, where heroin and methamphetamine are cheaply available on the streets.  - ABC Australia.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Massive Landslide Hits Lefkada Island, Greece Following Earthquake - One Of The World's Most Beautiful Beaches Destroyed!

Photographed from above, by helicopter, most of the beach has been covered by a landslide

November 21, 2015 - GREECE - Voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by media like CNN and Trip Advisor numerous times, the picturesque beach of Egremni on the island of Lefkada is no more, following the deadly earthquake that struck the island on Tuesday, November 17th which killed two elderly women.

Egremni Beach on the island of Lefkada before the earthquake

As seen from above, a large landslide decimated the beach below

The moment the earth shook and massive landslides took place at Afales Bay

Large boulders and swaths of rubble detached off the mountain which precariously hung atop the lush sandy beach below, leaving much of the open area that welcomed thousands of tourists annually, completely wiped away.


WATCH: Massive landslide destroys beach.

The moment of the earthquake and the large landslides were captured on video by a fisherman whose boat was just offshore when the earth shook. Following the earthquake, the entire landscape of the area changed, leaving much of the area which once occupied sunbathers and beach towels, gone. - The Pappas Post.

 

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: "Going... Going... Gone..." - Video Shows Giant Sinkhole In Bangladesh Swallowing House With Terrifying Speed!

Going...going...gone. The house in Bangladesh as it sunk. © John Wodden/Youtube)

November 20, 2015 - BANGLADESH - This is the terrifying moment a house was swallowed whole by a sinkhole.

Footage of the natural phenomenon shows a home cordoned off by police on a beach shoreline in Bangladesh.

As locals stand beside the property, the ground underneath the house can be seen sliding into the sea with astonishing speed.


WATCH: Sinkhole swallows up beach shoreline.

Moments later, there is no sign the house was ever there.

No injuries were reported but local authorities are investigating what may have caused the sinkhole to form. - Metro.

 

MONUMENTAL WEATHER ANOMALIES & GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Rare Wind-Driven Seiche Develops At Lake Erie Causes 7-FOOT Water Rise - Phenomenon Could Have Wiped Out Sections Of Buffalo, New York?!

November 14, 2015 - LAKE ERIE, UNITED STATES - A natural disaster of epic proportions has been in-progress for about three hours so far at Lake Erie and there's no sign of it stopping anytime soon.  The storm that caused spectacular waves on Lake Michigan and some minor lakeshore flooding also sent Lake Erie's water listing like a boat.

The phenomenon is called a seiche.

Data from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory shows the water level at Buffalo increased about 7 1/2 feet from 5 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 to 3 p.m. the same day.

Dave Mercer took video of Lake Erie just south of Buffalo on Wednesday, Nov. 12 (Courtesy: Dave Mercer)

A rare wind-driven  "Seiche" is taking place, wherein the wind is so fierce and sustained, it is blowing the entire body of lake water from west-to-east causing the natural sea level at the west end of Lake Erie to DROP 6 feet and the natural sea level at the east end to rise more than 7 feet!

A map of Lake Erie (Courtesy: Google Maps)

Massive flooding is now taking place at the east end of Lake Erie, with inundating amounts of water flowing out of the lake onto nearby shore roads, causing those roads to become impassable.  The seiche is already more than 7 feet tall and it continues to rise, spelling doom for many local residents, and perhaps entire sections of the city of Buffalo, New York.  The graphics below explain how a Seiche occurs:

A graphic showing how a seiche works (Courtesy: NOAA Great Lakes Research Laboratory)

In the Twitter video below, Dave Mercer posted this action of Lake Erie just south of Buffalo from Thursday's storm:

For everyone that keeps asking- This video was shot just south of #Buffalo NY on the Eastern Shore of #LakeErie pic.twitter.com/BGmaolYD0I

— Dave Mercer (@FactsofFishing) November 13, 2015

Water charts showing the LIVE water levels at both ends of Lake Erie tell the story quite graphically.

At Toledo, Ohio on the western shore of Lake Erie where the water level dropped by more than 6 feet suddenly today:

A graphic showing water and wind levels at Toledo (Courtesy: NOAA)

At Buffalo, NY, hundreds of miles to the east, the water level has suddenly risen by more than SEVEN FEET today, and continues to rise!

A graphic showing water and wind levels at Buffalo (Courtesy: NOAA)

No one knows how long this wind-driven water will continue to rise, but Buffalo, NY and its surrounding towns could see vast portions of their communities literally wiped out -- without any warning -- within hours from now. - SS95 | MLIVE.

 

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Massive 20-FOOT Sinkhole Opens Up On Housing Estate In Gosforth, Newcastle, Britain - Residents Left Horrified; "Rumbling Sound" Heard At The Site!

November 13, 2015 - BRITAIN - Residents have been left horrified after a 20ft sinkhole suddenly opened up on a housing estate built over an abandoned colliery.

The huge crater appeared above old mine workings at Craster Square in the Coxlodge area of Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, just before 11am today.

Dramatic pictures show the sheer size of the deep hole, which stretches the width of the road, and how it has left one lone car stranded on a driveway.

The huge 20ft sinkhole appeared on a residential street, in front of a set of garages (pictured), above an abandoned colliery at Craster Square in the Gosforth area of Newcastle upon Tyne just before 11am today. No one was injured but the site has now been cordoned off.

No one was injured when the 20ft crater (pictured) suddenly appeared, although police and officials remain at the site this afternoon.

The sinkhole was reported to the police by a resident called Doreen, who said she was sorting out her garage when she heard 'rumbling'.

The massive hole appeared on the site of an old shaft connected to former mine workings that belong to the National Coal Board (NCB).

No one was injured when the hole became visible, despite it reaching from the edge of one property's drive to another.

Police officers have now cordoned off the area and officials have been assessing the scene.

A police spokesman has said: 'We were called to a report of a sinkhole that had appeared.

'Officers attended and placed a cordon around the area. Nobody has been injured and police remain at the scene to assist making the area safe.'

The sinkhole was reported to the police by 58-year-old resident Doreen Murphy, who has lived in the square for 17 years and who was sorting out her garage when she heard a 'rumbling sound'.

She said: 'It was at the same time that the bin men were coming around so I thought it was them. But then the sound kept getting louder and louder and there was a big crash. 'I looked out of my garage and there was a big hole there. At first I was worried I couldn't get out. I was in shock and didn't know what to do so I phoned the police and told them what had happened.'

Another resident, Kyle Common, 26, said: 'It is just so strange to think that this could happen so close to where we live. Someone could have been driving there or had a car parked there. It was quite a shock.'

John Smith, who has lived in the area for 15 years, said his garage has been cordoned off as it is so close to the sinkhole. He said: 'At around 11.30am this morning the police knocked on my door and asked me about my garage and then they informed me that a big sinkhole had appeared in the ground. 'It happened very suddenly, I didn't actually hear any rumbles or noise. I don't have access to my garage but my car is out in the front . 'We have always known that there were pit yards here and there was a cobbled dome, which is like cap on top of a pit shaft, exactly where the sinkhole is.'

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said they had moved their car just in the nick of time. They added: 'This morning when I took when car out of my garage there was a slight four inch dip in the ground. 'I returned about 90 minutes later and saw that the ground had sunken in. There was a mineshaft in this area and that is probably what has caused this.'

Resident Leah O'Malley, 20, said: 'When I came out of my flat this morning, the ground was fine but there was a lady here who was worried about the state of the ground. 'I went back inside and came back out later to find that the huge hole had appeared. I was absolutely shocked.

COXLODGE COLLIERY HISTORY

The sinkhole in Gosforth has appeared above one of the former sites of Coxlodge Colliery.

There were two main pits in the colliery, one which was situated on Jubilee Road - just off Crasters Crescent where today's huge crater has appeared.

Official documents show that the exact location of today's sinkhole is above the entrance shaft of the former mine.

The Jubilee Pit, so called in commemoration of the jubilee attaining the 50th year of on George III's reign, is 68 fathoms deep.

Meanwhile, the second pit owned by Coxlodge - the Regent Pit - situated elsewhere in the city, is 92 fathoms deep.

An explosion occurred at the Gosforth mine on July 9, 1821, in which one man lost his life.

'A fire engine and police officers turned up and this lady was shaking. She said she was worried about falling into the sinkhole and it was a shock to find the ground collapsed.

'We are all wondering why this has happened.'

Meanwhile, resident Kirsty Mensah, 39, a customer service worker, said she was 'very concerned' about how the sinkhole had occurred. She said: 'It is a weak spot in the mine workings so there needs to be lots of tests to make sure other areas are safe. It could have been a block of flats or some kids riding their bikes or playing. 'There needs to be the right procedures and tests to reassure the public that this won't happen again.'

The geology of the area does have former coal mining present. It is the ancient working methods which may leave roads susceptible to sinkhole formation.

Sinkholes are the result of a collapse of the surface material into a void underground.

In the 19th century, when Coxlodge Colliery was in operation, the Jubilee Pit was on Jubilee Road opposite Jubilee Crescent in Gosforth.

A spokesman from Newcastle City Council said: 'We are aware that a 20-30ft hole has appeared near Craster Square in Coxlodge, Gosforth.

'We understand that this an old shaft connected to former mine workings that belong to the National Coal Board (NCB).

'Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service are both in attendance, as well as the council's Technical and Structural Engineering Teams who are providing assistance to emergency services.

'NCB have been contacted and their Emergency Response Team is attending the scene.'

However, John Delaney, from the Coal Authority, said he had not seen a sinkhole this big for some time.

He said: 'They will conduct the necessary investigation to establish if it is coal mining related and, if they do, make good the damage.

'We will be looking at old maps of the former coal mines in the area to see which one might be responsible.' - Daily Mail.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Sinkholes Keep Popping Up Across The United States - Vehicle Falls Into Huge Sinkhole In Central Florida!

November 13, 2015 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - WPTV YouReporter Shelley Jaggernauth sent in photos of a sinkhole swallowing a vehicle at a repair shop in central Florida.

Shelley said her brother was working at Indy's Auto Center when he and a co-worker heard a sound similar to a car door closing. She says they looked out front and saw this:

According to Shelley, an attempt was made to remove the vehicle from the hole using a standard tow truck, but they had to call in a larger truck from a company that tows "semi" trucks.

No one was injured.

Shelley's brother says the hole was approximately 18 feet deep. - WPTV.

MONUMENTAL GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Dangerous Landslide And Ground Collapse In Ceiba, Puerto Rico - Leaves 8 Houses And Families On The Edge Of A Massive 32-FOOT Sinkhole! [PHOTOS+VIDEOS]

November 12, 2015 - CEIBA, PUERTO RICO - Eight houses are on the edge of a 20-feet hole as the ground collapsed just in front of them.

The dangerous landslide that even destroyed the wall of containment has occurred on November 9, 2015, at night and hasn’t been secured yet.

Luckily, only two families were sleeping in their homes since the state agency for emergency management and administration of disasters ( Aemead) had given orders of eviction last monday.

This ground instability isn’t new. These houses are suffering for more than one year from cracks and land movements.

But it is only on November 6, 2015 that the sidewalks began to collapse and the streets to crack.


Today, the wall of containment is left and a 32-feet hole is threatening 8 houses and families.

The landslide is however still active. The ground is continuously moving and you hear trees cracking…

These 8 houses will probably one day collapse into the ground.


WATCH: Massive landslide in Puerto Rico.

More pictures and information: Familias afectadas por derrumbe en Ceiba.


- Strange Sounds.