KGF: About 12 sqft of land caved in to a depth of 80 feet in a newly-formed layout in Manjunath Nagar of Oorgaumpet at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) on Sunday night. The land caved adjacent to the road and a drain in the middle of the layout. Houses are located just 400 feet away from the place.
According to Ramakrishna, a resident, an underground tunnel of the defunct Bharat Gold Mines Ltd (BGML) passed below the spot.
Another resident Gangulappa said a similar sinkhole had developed in the locality around 50 years ago, which was later filled up. Continuous rain for the past two days must have loosened the soil, and resulted in the sinkhole, said sources.
Aftab Hussain, the present owner of the layout, said he purchased two acres of land six months ago,which he converted into residential sites that he was preparing to sell.
Kolar Deputy Commissioner K V Thrilok Chandra said KGF CMC Commissioner Srikanth visited the spot and instructed BGML authorities to inspect the site and submit a report. The DC said a team of officials, including experts from the Department of Mines and Geology, will be sent to the site.
Earlier occurrences
This is not the first time that such a sinkhole has formed. It happened twice in Andersonpet, that too in the middle of the road, near the mining colony, and once within the limits of Oorgaumpet.