Suddenly the ground cracks open Gigantic hole in the ground swallows half a football pitch

Andreas Fischer

27.6.2024

A stroke of luck: a few days after the end of a football camp for children, a mine collapses under a sports field in the USA. Suddenly, a hole appears in the ground and half the pitch sinks into it.

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  • A video shows the whole catastrophe: In the USA, half a sports field has suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth.
  • Parts of the artificial turf pitch and a floodlight mast disappeared in a huge hole.
  • Fortunately, no one was injured.

A gigantic hole appeared virtually out of nowhere on a football pitch in the USA at the weekend. The collapse occurred in the town of Alton in the state of Illinois: a surveillance video shows the moment of the disaster.

Around 30 meters in diameter and up to 15 meters deep: the best news is that no one was injured when the crater formed. Just a few days earlier, around 60 to 70 children had met regularly at the sports facility for a football camp.

The sports facility was deserted when it collapsed. Not only did a large part of the artificial turf pitch disappear in the hole in the ground, but also a complete floodlight mast.

According to media reports, the reason for the spectacular event is a mine directly under the sports field. It has a 12 to 15 meter thick ceiling. The hole in the ground was created directly above it. The reason for the sudden surface subsidence remained unclear at first. According to the operating company, no people were injured in the collapse, even though the mine is still active.