Large sinkhole in the Philippines prompts evacuation of 80 families
File photo of Cebu City. Courtesy: Hafsteinn Robertsson /Flickr
Digital Reporter
Monday, July 28, 2014, 5:10 PM - At least 80 families were evacuated when a large sinkhole opened up in the Philippines' northern Cebu province on Saturday.
Authorities say that when the sinkhole was first spotted Friday night it measured about 0.91 metres in diameter. By 5 p.m. Saturday it had expanded to 12.2 metres in diameter with a depth of at least 12 metres.
The country's Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has sent an official to the area to conduct an assessment.
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In the meantime, the approximately 200 families that live near the sinkhole are being told to avoid the area.
“I strongly advise local government officials to strictly [prevent] people [from going] near the sinkhole, as we are still determining the extent of its formation,” a DENR representative told local media.
More than 200 sinkholes have been reported in the region since October, 2013.
It's suspected that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit the area on October 15, 2013 may be linked to the rise in sinkholes.
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