SANTIAGO, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Chilean authorities on Monday launched an investigation into a mysterious sinkhole about 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter that appeared over the weekend in a mining area in the north of the country.
Chilean media showed aerial images of the sinkhole on land operated by Canadian copper miner Lundin Mining ( LUN.TO ), about 665 kilometers (413 miles) north of the capital, Santiago.
The National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) became aware of the hole on Saturday and sent specialized personnel to the area, agency director David Montenegro said in a statement.
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“There is a considerable distance, approximately 200 meters (656 feet), to the bottom,” Montenegro said. “We didn’t find any material down there, but we did see the presence of a lot of water.”
Sernageomin announced the closure of areas from the entrance to the Alcaparrosa mine working site, located near the sinkhole.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, Lundin Mining said the hole did not affect workers or community members.
“The nearest home is more than 600 meters (1,969 feet) away, while any residential area or public service is almost a kilometer away from the affected area,” the statement said.
Lundin Mining owns 80% of the property, with the remainder held by Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation.
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Report by Fabian Andres Cambero; Written by Alexander Villegas; editing by Grant McCool, Sandra Mahler and Sam Holmes
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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