A giant sinkhole opened up in a residential area of the town of
Schmalkalden, Germany, Monday, causing no injuries but forcing
the evacuation of 25 people. A huge sinkhole appeared overnight
in the central German town of Schmalkalden Monday, swallowing a
parked car and a garage door but causing no injuries. The
circular hole, which is about 98 feet across and 65 feet deep,
appeared at around 3a.m. in a residential area, reports Der
Spiegel, forcing the evacuation of 25 people. Experts are
pointing to natural causes for the hole, but they have yet to
determine the exact cause. Sinkholes are often caused by the
underground erosion of salt beds or soluble sedimentary rocks,
such as limestone or dolomite. Groundwater flows through these
rocks, creating subterranean caverns that can suddenly collapse.
Officials from Schmalkalden, a town of 20,000 that was formerly
part of East Germany say that they plan to fill the hole with
gravel.