Mysterious giant sinkhole appears in Chile, pic released

Official authorities are investigating a mysterious sinkhole that was discovered in Chile. The sinkhole, which has a diameter of roughly 25 metres (82 feet), formed over the weekend in a mining region of northern Chile. Aerial photographs of the sinkhole were released by the media. It is located on land used by a Canadian copper mine, Lundin Mining, about 665 kilometres (413 miles) north of Santiago, Chile.

According to David Montenegro, the head of the National Service of Geology and Mining (Sernageomin), specialised personnel was sent to the region when the agency learned about the sinkhole on Saturday. "There is a considerable distance, approximately 200 meters (656 feet), to the bottom," Montenegro said. "We haven't detected any material down there, but we have seen the presence of a lot of water."

The Alcaparrosa mine's work site, which is close to the sinkhole, has announced the closure of some sections, according to Sernageomin.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Lundin Mining said the sinkhole did not affect any workers or community members. "The closest home is more than 600 meters (1,969 feet) away while any populated area or public service are almost a kilometer away from the affected zone," the statement read. Lundin Mining owns 80% of the property and the rest is held by Japan's Sumitomo Corporation.

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(With inputs from Reuters)