MONUMENTAL GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Massive 2015 Alaskan Landslide That Triggered A Mega-Tsunami Is Estimated To Be The BIGGEST NON-VOLCANIC Landslide In North American History - Over 200 MILLION METRIC TONS Of Rock Landed On The Tyndall Glacier!

The site of an October landslide in Taan Fiord, within Icy Bay, Alaska.
© Chris Larsen

April 11, 2016 - ALASKA - After a period of heavy rains, about 200 million metric tons of rock tumbled down a remote Southeast Alaska mountain. The massive landslide, lasting about 60 seconds, occurred on October 17, 2015, and landed on the toe of Tyndall Glacier and into Taan Fiord in Icy Bay, Alaska.

The event generated a local megatsunami that sheared trees more than 152.4 meters (500 feet) up on a peninsula within the fiord. It was big enough to register at the nearest tidal gauge 155 km (96.3 miles) away. For comparison, the 2011 tsunami in Japan reached about 39.6 meters (130 feet) above sea level.

This event, now estimated as the biggest nonvolcanic landslide, by volume, in North America's written history, was registered by special seismograms monitored by the Global CMT Project at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory whose seismologists Göran Ekström and Colin Stark have invented a new technique that uses seismic waves to detect landslides in remote areas where they might otherwise go unrecorded.

Spruce trees shaved off a peninsula within Taan Fiord by a landslide-generated wave last October.© Chris Larsen

Since winter snows hid the damage generated by the tsunami it took several months to see the extent of the damage. Upon hearing a report from a pilot colleague that the landslide area of Icy Bay was free of snow, glaciologist Chris Larsen of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute flew there in his Cessna 180. Larsen used a camera system mounted in his plane to make a high-resolution map of the landslide and the path of the megatsunami.

"It almost blows away everything in the historical record except for Lituya Bay," Larsen said. "It's really a unique event to have a tsunami 100 meters (328 feet) high. If it was September or any time in the summer, the wave could have gotten a fishing boat or two.

"The Lituya Bay landslide, Larsen referred to, occurred in 1958 after a powerful M8.0 earthquake. The wave that followed ripped spruce from 518 m (1 700 feet) up a mountain slope and left trimlines in the bay that are visible today.

Icy Bay and places like it will have more landslides as time goes on, Larsen said. Warmer temperatures melt more glacial ice that buttress hillsides. When the ice melts, oversteepened slopes will fail. Sometimes it takes a big rain or an earthquake to shake them down.

"These megatsunamis are infrequent in the historical record but will most likely increase," Larsen added. - The Watchers.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Massive Sinkhole Opens Up In Naples, Italy - Swallows Up Two Trees And A Car! [VIDEO]

© Screenshot via YouTube/IlMattino

March 21, 2016 - ITALY - A Renault Twingo and two small trees have disappeared into a huge sinkhole in the central square of Afragola, a town near Naples.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, which happened in the early hours of Monday morning.

The opening of the chasm, which was seven metres long, seven metres wide and seven metres deep, damaged underground pipes and cut off the water supply to some local residents.

A video of the sinkhole and its contents can be seen below.


WATCH: Massive sinkhole opens up in Naples.

The gigantic hole is thought to have been caused by either an underground drain or tunnel caving in.

Several tunnels are known to run under the square and once connected the crypt of the nearby church of San Giorgio to the town's castle.

In February last year, a sinkhole caused by a burst water pipe saw 300 people evacuated from their homes in Naples, while in October a female driver watched her car disappear into a sinkhole in Catania. - The Local.

 

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Massive Sinkhole Opens Up Overnight In Lanarkshire, UK - Measured 30-FOOT-WIDE!

The enormous sinkhole suddenly developed just yards from the front doors of three detached properties.© Presstream Scotland

March 18, 2016 - UNITED KINGDOM - The enormous hole suddenly developed just yards from the front doors of three detached properties in Plains, Lanarkshire

Homes have been evacuated after a massive sinkhole appeared in their street overnight. The enormous hole suddenly developed just yards from the front doors of three detached properties in Plains, Lanarkshire. The crater covers a large section of road in Moffat View in the village and is estimated to be 30ft wide and 10ft deep.

Residents have been told to stay away from their £130,000 properties until work is carried out to assess and fix the damage. Locals have speculated a former mineshaft had collapsed following heavy rains. The cul-de-sac had been closed off since Wednesday morning and was being inspected by workers today. However homeowners have blasted North Lanarkshire Council and claimed they had highlighted concerns over the area last month.

John Riley, 61, said he was now living in a hotel as work was carried out. He took to Facebook to complain, adding: "All three residents evacuated at short notice by Fire Service. "Emergency team told us we usually get the evacuees into the local school for a few hours and give them telephone and Internet access, refreshments and any other support until they can be safely rehoused or make other arrangements."

"My insurance has put us up in Premier inn for two weeks," John continued. "I refused the 4th floor flat in Holehills whose condition was "unknown". "After seven weeks of pleading with North Lanarkshire Council, including the offer of sharing the geo-tech info I had obtained and was refused.

John Lowe, 60, a former resident in the street, said issues with water had been raised before. He added: "When I stayed in the middle house I spent three years complaining about the water coming out the ground. "It was a rusty colour and causing damage to the pavements, I even had to channel it away. "The council did nothing about it and when I came to sell my house it took me seven months to get it sold. People had obviously read the water reports and thought against it," John continued.

© Pressstream Scotland

© Pressstream Scotland

"I always feared something like this would happen because water shouldn't be running like that. "There has been water bubbling up for five or six weeks here just at the bit where the hole now is. "Something should have been done much, much sooner to try and avoid this."

"Because it is a quiet street with a dead end, it is very popular with young kids playing," he added. "I dread to think what would have happened had it collapsed while the kids were all on bikes playing or whatever. "The families living there must be very angry because it has been a long term issue which just hasn't been addressed by the council and they've been left with this massive hole.

"The whole field in front of the houses is absolutely soaking so there is obviously a real problem with water here. "A new estate was also built recently and that can't have helped the situation at all. "Hopefully they get it fixed and the families get back to their houses soon, it must be terrible for them. "The council should have done something much quicker rather than letting this happen." Workers had sealed off the cul-de-sac today and council bosses said they did not believe homes had been put at risk by the hole. A North Lanarkshire Council spokesman said: "We have taken the decision to evacuate the three properties at the end of Moffat View to ensure the safety of the residents of those properties. "Our partners at Scottish Fire and Rescue and Scottish Gas Networks are satisfied that there is no risk from gas and we have consulted with Scottish Water.

"We have fenced off the end of Moffat View to ensure no-one can approach the area of the hole in the road. "We are consulting with technical specialists about our next course of action. Once they have completed their work we will act quickly on their findings." Last October 20 residents were evacuated and dozens more left stranded after a 66ft sinkhole opened up overnight in a suburban street in Hertfordshire. The gaping hole was discovered in St Albans, after spreading across the quiet cul-de-sac and swallowing two front gardens. - Mirror.

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: 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.

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: Planetary Transformations - Film Shows Powerful Landslide Ripping Up Trees Like Matchsticks In Russia!

Slow and steady: Powerful landslide engulfs Russian countryside

April 24, 2015 - RUSSIA - The terrifying natural phenomenon brought down hundreds of trees in the area as the ground appeared to collapse

The is the incredible moment a powerful landslide tore down hundreds of trees as it ripped through the countryside.

And despite its low speed, the landslide doesn't seem any less terrifying as it cascades down the hillside.

In the clip, the sound of tree roots can be heard as they rip from the ground while the rocky outcrops appear to subside and collapse in on themselves.

The footage emerged earlier this month, and information provided by the filmmaker claims the natural phenomenon occurred on April 1 in Zarechny, Russia.


WATCH: Dramatic video shows powerful landslide ripping up trees like matchsticks.

It is likely the landslide was caused by spring meltwater that had seeped into the soil on nearby hillsides, according to The Weather Network.

When water is able to saturate most of the soil, the ground becomes more viscous and the soil is more likely to 'flow' downhill. - Daily Mirror.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: "It's Been A Devastating Day,... It's Critical, Scary,..." - Three Homes Evacuated After Massive Landslide In Des Moines, Washington, Forcing Salt Water State Park To Shut Down; Authorities Concerned The Soil Hasn't Stopped Moving! [VIDEO + PHOTOS]

At least two houses were damaged in a landslide near Salt Water State Park in Des Moines on March 27, 2015.

March 28, 2015 - WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - Three homes have been evacuated after a landslide near Salt Water State Park in Des Moines on Friday, according to South King County Fire.

"It has been a devastating day," said one homeowner as he quickly gathered his pets and a few belongings before evacuating. "Everyone is safe. So that is the most important thing."

Deputy Chief Vic Pennington said the area is considered a sensitive area.

"It's not considered a slide area but it is a serious, critical, sensitive land area here. Over the years, I have learned that they have had a few small slides but nothing to this extent," Pennington said.

Authorities are concerned because the soil hasn't stopped moving.

"It will be a couple of days while the thing settles down," said Des Moines Building Official Larry Pickard.

A home owner first noticed activity around 8:30 a.m., but didn't report it until it got worse around 3 p.m.

The houses are located at 250th and 8th Avenue South.

"Things like this are scary and something you always think about living this close to the edge," said Jaimee Swindall, who lives a couple door down from the homes that were evacuated.

WATCH: 3 homes evacuated after landslide in Des Moines.

 

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The fire department is assessing the slide from the water and ground to determine the extent of the damage.

Puget Sound Energy turned off the gas and electricity to the homes that were evacuated due to the slide. - KING5.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Man And Woman Fall Into Sinkhole At South Korean Train Station!

Man and woman falling into sinkhole. © Stomp

February 23, 2015 - SOUTH KOREA - A man and woman got off a train in South Korea, only to fall right into a sinkhole in the train station.

CCTV footage shows what happened during that incident.

As the man and woman get off the train, a patch of tiles in the station can be seen looking slightly out of place compared to the rest of the floor.

As both the man and woman step onto that patch, the section of floor gives and they both fall in.

Another man and woman look on in shock after narrowly avoiding the fall.

According to online reports, the man and woman sustained injuries from their fall.


WATCH: Man and woman fall into sinkhole in South Korea.

- Asia One.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Stunningly Massive Sinkhole Opens Up In Naples, Italy - Over 380 People Evacuated! [MUST SEE PHOTOS]

A sinkhole opened up in the middle of a street in Naples, Italy early Sunday morning.

February 22, 2015 - NAPLES, ITALY - Residents in Naples, Italy woke up this morning to a massive sinkhole that opened up in the middle of a street.

Officials say the sinkhole started off as a depression in the road and is most likely caused by a broken sewer.

'It was 5 this morning when I heard a huge thud. I looked out and saw the road collapse and swallow a car,' a woman who lives in a neighboring apartment told Il Mattino.

None of the surrounding buildings showed sign of damage, but nonetheless the four condominiums surrounding the crater were evacuated on Sunday with city officials scrambling to find accommodations for the 380 displaced locals.

About 380 people from four surrounding condominiums were evacuated after the sinkhole opened up, sending city officials scrambling to find accommodations

Engineers plan to stabilize the sinkhole by filling it with concrete

'We are in contact with hotel facilities in the area in order to accommodate everyone and try to reduce as far as possible, the inconvenience to citizens,' an official said.

David Lezzi, the operations manager of the site, said crews will first figure out the extent of the hole before trying to stabilize it with concrete.

Reports did not say when residents might be able to return to their homes. The area has been cordoned off.  - Daily Mail.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: Sinkhole Collapses In North Korea - Eleven People Killed, 30 Others Injured!

Farmers in a field on North Korea's west coast, April 8, 2012. AFP

February 22, 2015 - NORTH KOREA - Eleven people—most of them women—were killed and around 30 injured in North Korea when earth they were plowing collapsed beneath them, according to a source inside the country.

The workers had been mobilized to plow at the October 18 Jonghap Farm in Yanggang province, along the border with China, on Feb. 3 as part of an annual bid by the Kim Jong Un regime to improve acidic soil for farming, an area resident told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity.

Due to low temperatures during the winter, much of the earth had been turned to ice, and the workers—from the Baek-du Youth Team, and the Baek-am Tile Works and Rural Construction Unit—had been ordered to dig until they found unfrozen soil, the source said.

However, a sinkhole had developed beneath the ice and when the workers pierced through the frozen layer of soil, the ground collapsed, burying them alive, according to the source.

A second source from Yanggang told RFA that four tractors had been deployed for four days as part of the rescue effort.

“Lots of officials, including those from the party committee and rural development committee responded to the accident, staying at the scene throughout the rescue attempt,” the source said.

“The accident resulted in 11 deaths and about 30 injuries, almost all of whom were women.”

It was unclear how the sinkhole had formed, though they are commonly found in nature when groundwater causes the dissolution of carbonate rock, such as limestone, or as a result of human activity, such as mining or when natural water-drainage patterns are altered.

The sources did not provide details about how workers sought to treat the acidic soil, which the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington says is common in the North due to “decades of over-fertilization” that have also left farmland with little organic matter.

‘Excessive demand’

An official in Yanggang expressed remorse for the incident, telling RFA that a similar accident had occurred in December last year involving a sinkhole collapse, though it had resulted in no casualties.

He said if additional safety measures had been implemented since the earlier accident, they might have saved the lives of the workers and avoided other damage.

The official criticized what he called “excessive demands” from the central authorities, saying that while plowing should be done after the harvest, local officials had been ordered to carry out the work during the winter each year, resulting in frequent accidents.

“[Local] officials know well how difficult the soil-plowing work is in the winter, but can’t help requiring people to do it because of a severe shortage of workers,” the source said. - RFA.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVALS: The Mysterious Widening Sinkhole Of General Santos City In The Philippines - Disaster Officials Are Puzzled; If It Keeps Growing Bigger, It Could Affect More Than 1,000 Families!

The quay faces threat of disappearance if the underwater hole continues to eat into the shores. © Ronald Velasquez

February 22, 2015 - THE PHILIPPINES - If the hole keeps growing bigger, it could affect more than 1,000 families living in the area

Residents here who have resisted relocation for more than 30 years now are left with no other choice but to leave the shores where many of them practically lived all their lives.

43-year-old Reynante Desidorio said he was born in Purok Tinago, a community of informal settlers in Barangay South Dadiangas, and has not known any other work but to supervise the loading and unloading of copra and other agricultural products from Balut Island in a makeshift wooden jetty near his house.

But even that quay will soon disappear if the underwater hole continues to eat into the shores and gobble their homes.

Puzzling

Disaster officials are still puzzled why a deep hole - or a suspected sinkhole as the local TV stations here are reporting - has suddenly appeared.

Desidorio said a payaw (FAD or fish aggregating device) deployed some 50 meters away from the shore disappeared on Wednesday at the same time white bubbles emerged from the bottom.

He said a pumpboat operator tried to measure the depth of the hole. After dropping its anchor, only 20 dipa (fathoms) were left of the 350 fathoms of rope.

He fears their homes could collapse as the stilt posts of their houses now appear to be already on the rim of the hole.

Homes on stilts are on the rim of the sinkhole.  © Edwin Espejo

From an aerial photograph taken Friday, the hole appears to be a collapsed wall that extended more than 100 meters to the sea. It is now deep blue from above and is distinctively different from the adjoining shores whose bed of sand and silt is unmistakenly black.

The city disaster risk reduction and management council (CDRRMC) said it cannot yet determine what caused the hole.

CDRRMC head Dr Agraprino Dacera said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau will not conduct ground penetrating radar and sounding survey until next week.

The quay could collapse if it continues to tilt.   © Edwin Espejo

Emergency evacuation

Disaster officials have already ordered families living in the area to seek temporary shelter in nearby Ireneo Santigao High School.

On Friday, February 20, General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera met with some 100 families of Tinago and offered immediate relocation for 47 of them whose houses are in imminent danger of collapsing.

"We have set aside 3 hectares of land in Mabuhay for those who are already ordered out of the area. You will each be given 75 square meters," he told the affected residents.

He assured them that the city will no longer allow any structure to be built in their former homes which will soon be demolished.

"The main priority here is to protect them from danger kasi nasa danger zone na talaga sila," Rivera said.

If the hole keeps growing bigger, it could affect more than 1,000 families living in the area that stretches more than a kilometer east across the public market.

- Rappler.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Landslide Smashes Retaining Wall At Italy's Historic Pompeii Site!

February 7, 2015 - ITALY - Heavy rains have provoked landslide at the ancient Italian site of Pompeii, partially collapsing a retaining wall and sending rubble into a garden at the house of Severus.

Italian officials on Wednesday said the affected area falls within the "Great Pompeii" joint EU-Italian restoration project and had been already closed to the public.

© AP/Cesare Abbate, Ansa

© AP/Cesare Abbate, Ansa

Pompeii, the ancient Roman city encased in volcanic ash near Mount Vesuvius, south of Naples, has suffered numerous collapses of walls and buildings in recent years, often due to rain.

The problems have attracted widespread attention to Italy's difficulties in maintaining its cultural treasures.

Pompeii officials said firefighters were assessing the ancient site to determine areas at particular risk for collapse in a bid to shore them up.  - ABC News.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: "Oh No, We've Got A Tsunami" - Massive Sinkhole Swallows Up THREE CARS And Trees In Melbourne, Australia; Threatens To Flood 50 Homes!

A sinkhole in Port Melbourne threatened to flood 50 homes at one stage, Melbourne Fire Brigade commander said. © Grant Stevenson

December 25, 2014 - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Residents in a Melbourne suburb woke today to find a massive sinkhole that swallowed cars and trees.

Firefighters were called to Port Melbourne early on Tuesday after a 350mm cast iron water main ruptured under Liardet Street.

Witness Vanessa says she thought a tsunami had hit the waterside suburb.

"I heard car horns, car alarms going off erratically. I thought someone had broken into my car," she told Fairfax radio.

"I went out there, opened up my front door and saw two cars swallowed up in the street right outside my front door and all this water gushing down the street in front of me.


WATCH: Sinkhole swallows cars as burst main floods Port Melbourne street.

"I thought, 'Oh no, we've got a tsunami'."

MFB commander Paul Foster said the torrent threatened to flood 50 houses at one stage.

"It was obviously quite a big failure of the pipe, a big rupture, and it created a sinkhole large enough to swallow one car completely and another car about halfway," he told Fairfax radio.

"As well, a number of cars in the street were affected by the water." - SBS.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: “It’s Getting Bigger All The Time” – Massive Sinkhole Opens Up In Front Garden In Upper Basildon, UK!

The hole appeared nearly a fortnight ago and has been growing ever since

December 24, 2014 - UNITED KINGDOM - A "massive" sinkhole has appeared in the front garden of a house in Berkshire.

The 10m (32ft) wide and 5m (16ft) deep crater formed outside the family home of Sarah Jenkins, in Upper Basildon, near Reading.

Ms Jenkins said: "It's massive and it's getting bigger all the time."

Consultant engineer Dr Clive Edmonds described it as "one of the larger of the hole sizes to appear".

The hole first appeared on 5 December but is continuing to grow.

Ms Jenkins added: "The only access to our property has been across our neighbour's garden.

"It's taken out quite a bit of the driveway and garden and it's sitting underneath my children's climbing frame, so it's very serious.

"It's dangerous. Living with this is absolutely dreadful."  - BBC.

GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Massive Landslide In Central Java, Indonesia - Village Of Jemblung Destroyed; At Least 20 Dead, Dozens Still Missing; Hundreds Of Homes Leveled! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Indonesian soldiers and rescue team members walk through the mud after a landslide hit the village of Sampang in Banjarnegara, December 13, 2014. 
© REUTERS/Idhad Zakaria/Antara Foto

December 14, 2014 - INDONESIA - Authorities in Indonesia say heavy lifting equipment is now being used to search for more than 80 people missing in a landslide in central Java.

At least 20 people died and dozens were injured in the incident in Jemblung village on Friday.

The search has been hampered by heavy rain and difficulty accessing the disaster site.

Flash floods and fatal landslides triggered by seasonal downpours are common in Indonesia.

Rescuers were forced to dig with their bare hands until tractors and bulldozers arrived on Sunday.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the country's national disaster agency, said some of the roads leading to the site had been cleared.

"Today the search for survivors will be carried out using heavy excavation equipment. The landslide has blocked road access since yesterday", he said.

Rescuers, including local residents, are still hoping to find survivors

Landslides are common in Indonesia during the rainy season, with around half the population at risk

Indonesian soldiers and rescue team members lift a cattle trapped in the mud after a landslide hit the village of Sampang in Banjarnegara, December 13, 2014.
© REUTERS/Idhad Zakaria/Antara Foto

Over 1,000 rescuers, including police and soldiers, are involved in the operation.

Disaster agency officials said at least 11 people were seriously injured and in hospital.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is due to travel to the area on Sunday to meet survivors.

"I am in grief over the landslide that struck Jemblung village," he said in a statement.

WATCH: Village destroyed by deadly landslide near Jakarta, Indonesia.

"Landslides can be a lesson to us, on the importance of maintaining environmental balance," he added.

The country's national disaster agency said hundreds of houses had been destroyed by the landslide, with almost 600 residents moved to temporary shelters.

Many of the inhabitants of the chain of 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.

Authorities say around half the population is at risk from landslides. - BBC.