In the German state of Thuringia, a 62-year-old man fell into a deep hole in the ground while mowing the grass and died. A police spokesman said Tuesday that it has not yet been definitively clarified how the hole, which was up to six meters deep and one meter in diameter, was formed.
A so-called sinkhole cannot be ruled out. Experts from the National Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation have investigated the incident.
hole was under water
The man’s wife missed the 62-year-old Monday and found the hole in the garden. Rescuers could only save him dead. At first, the cause of death was not clear. The hole would be under water. During the rescue efforts, the hole in the ground got even bigger, the police spokesman said. There was a danger of collapse. An area of 50 meters around the hole in the ground was cordoned off.
According to the Jena Police Inspectorate, it was initially suspected that a former stream undermined the ground or that a former salt works in Bad Sulza may have played a role. In the past, brine was mined and salt was extracted here.
sinkholes not uncommon
So-called sinkholes are not uncommon in Thuringia. They are formed by leaching relatively easily water-soluble rocks into the subsoil, such as gypsum rock. The resulting cavities will eventually collapse. A sinkhole in Schmalkalden, Thuringia, made headlines in 2010, where a 30 by 40 meter hole suddenly appeared in a residential area. At that point, the residents were terrified. The hole was filled with tens of thousands of tons of gravel.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
