Mother Nature is reclaiming her land piece by piece, or so it appears after she swallowed more than 200 metres of beachfront in Queensland on Sunday.
Fortunately, no one was harmed in the freak event, but a car, caravan, camper trailer and tents have all been lost to the abyss.
The sinkhole, located at Inskip Point near Fraser Island in Queensland, is said to be three-metres deep and still unstable. At least 300 people have been evacuated from the area.
A further 160 campers have been evacuated from #InskipPoint as a precaution, bringing total to 300. @7NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/PmmC57zGG8— Natasha Squarey (@NatashaSquarey) September 27, 2015
The site is a popular tourist destination and witnesses have recounted the moment the land opened up and swallowed everything whole. "It sounded like a thunder noise," tourist Casey Hughes told ABC News. "People were basically on the edge of it with their van, trying to madly get their vans out," camper Sylvia Murray said.
A sinkhole is a geological feature that develops when types of rock like limestone are dissolved by water and collapse, according to ABC Science. Weather events such as significant rainfall, drought and human intervention can cause sinkholes to develop.
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Geological engineers have started conducting preliminary investigations, using ground-penetrating radar technology to assess the impact underground. Experts are warning the sinkhole could grow even further, as researchers call for a warning system to be put in place to prevent a fatal incident occurring.
The moment the ground started opening up beneath sleeping campers at Inskip Point. See exclusive video 7 News at 6pm pic.twitter.com/A2kQKz8bTk— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) September 27, 2015