A giant, perfectly circular 32-meter (104 ft) sinkhole has opened up in Chile's northern mining region. The hole appeared on Saturday near the Alcaparrosa copper mine in Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó province.
One member of the Tierra Amarilla community told Chilean TV the incident confounded their fears about the site, which is owned by the Candelaria mining company. A health center and a number of homes are located a mere 600 meters (2,000 feet) from the rim of the hole.
Candelaria's administrative director Karina Briño said the company had "no idea" what had caused the sinkhole to open. The interim director for Chile's National Geological and Mining Service, David Montenegro, said his offices would look in to the matter to provide residents with some answers and reassurance.
