A massive sinkhole opened last weekend in a field near the town of Santa Maria Zacatepec in Central Mexico. The sinkhole with a depth of 65ft and a diameter of over 300 ft is threatening to swallow a house in the area. According to the residents of a nearby house, they first heard strange sounds, and after a quick check discovered a hole in the ground and saw the water bubbling.

The Sinkhole had an estimated diameter of 5 meters (or 16 feet) when it was first discovered by the residents. Magdalena Sanchez, a local resident told El Sol de Mexico that before the sinkhole appeared in the area, they heard a loud sound akin to thunder.  It has since rapidly expanded and grown at an exponential scale. The authorities have cautioned residents to stay away from the hole that is still growing and is dangerously close to a nearby house.

The Governor of Puebla, Miguel Barbosa Huerta said, the people in the area have been evacuated since “It is a matter of enormous risk,” Newsweek reported.

According to local authorities, there are volcanic deposits that have inundated the ground around Santa Maria Zacatepec. These ash soils are among the most productive soils in the world and ideal for farming.  They suspect that the groundwater likely eroded the volcanic ash layers, land left behind a hole that eventually started to collapse, Forbes reported.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2021 01:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).