Illinois soccer field is swallowed by a massive sinkhole when a mine collapses, according to officials

A large sinkhole engulfed a portion of the soccer field in an Alton, Illinois park on Wednesday morning, forcing the closure of the area.

Security footage from Gordon Moore Park, which CBS station KMOV was able to secure, captures the moment the sinkhole opened. It depicts debris plumes soaring into the air and a stadium light sinking.

Director of the city’s parks and recreation department Michael Haynes told the station, “It was surreal.” “Kind of like a movie where the ground just falls out from underneath you.”

The massive hole is seen in footage taken by 618 Drone Service. It is thought to be at least 30 feet deep and 100 feet broad.

According to Haynes, KMOV, the collapse is believed to be the result of an operating mine. There were no reported injuries.

“The mines have been here and in this area for decades and decades,” Haynes stated. “I’m told it’s an anomaly because it’s never been brought up before. We’ll hold off till the inquiry is over.

According to Haynes, the station, the turf fields that caused the collapse were added to the park in 2019 at a cost over $1 million. He didn’t think the repairs would need to be covered by the city.

Gordon Moore Park was closed “while the sinkhole investigation is being completed,” and all scheduled events were canceled, according to a social media post by Alton Parks and Recreation.

The affected area has been guarded and will remain closed while specialists and inspectors investigate the mine and carry out repairs, the New Frontier Materials firm said KMOV.

The distance between Alton, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, is roughly eighteen miles to the north.