Land movement caused Cẩm Phả sinkhole: experts

The appearance of a large sinkhole in Cam Pha City in northeastern Quang Ninh Province is due to natural land movement, according to the Institute of Geological Sciences.

The sinkhole in Cam Son Ward is 3m deep and 100m wide. — VNA/VNS Photo

The institute revealed this in a recent document sent to the city’s authority.

Earlier, on September 12, several cracks appeared on a road in the Nam Sơn area of Cam Son Ward. Early the next morning, they developed into a large sinkhole – 3m deep and 100m wide. However, it did not affect homes nearby since it was on the road.

According to the Institute of Geological Sciences, the process that led to the depression is similar to those causing sinkholes elsewhere in the city in 2013 and 2014, but the depression this time is the largest in terms of scale.

It added that water leakage into the layer separating the materials to build the road and the rock underneath also triggered the depression.

The affected area lies in a zone which has a high risk of depression due to natural conditions, the institute said.

It warned local residents to keep a close watch on possible cracks on the land surface in areas with high risks to find timely solutions to reduce damage.

In 2013 and 2014, several depressions were reported in Cam Pha City, damaging homes and injuring people.

Source: VNS