A massive 30-metre-wide crater called the “Gateway to Hell” opened near a popular Russian ski resort, and an evacuation operation was launched, halting activities until further notice from authorities.
The collapse occurred at an iron ore mine in Sheregesh in Siberia’s Kemerovo region, the British newspaper Mirror reported.
Aerial footage shows a hole in the side of a road and at least one house nearly swallowed by the crater.
Due to the disaster, the residents of the four houses had to be evacuated to a safe place. No one was harmed.
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Authorities said the incident was not unexpected, as they were able to foresee the natural disaster and evacuated the houses before they collapsed. Operations at the Sheregesh mine have been suspended until further notice.
“The sinking of the earth’s surface at the edge of the Sheregesh mine’s mine site was predictable,” a spokesperson for the Tashtagol region said. “The residents of houses 14, 16, 18 and 20 on Pervomayskaya Street were resettled before they were demolished.”
The government also announced that it plans to fill the pit as quickly as possible and prevent potential accidents on the site.
The mine where the pit was dug is located next to the Sheregesh ski resort, one of the most popular ski resorts in Russia. It is the site of a famous annual ski competition in swimsuits in the spring.
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, the mine is owned by the British steel company Evraz Group, linked to billionaire Roman Abramovich.
According to the Daily Mail, the mining was originally established on the territory of Russia, but in March this year it was incorporated into the United Kingdom as a result of the war in Ukraine.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.