A new sinkhole has opened in the Florida town of Seffner, authories reported. This is the fourth sinkhole in the area in a month. The newest sinkhole, discovered by 11-year-old Gabriella Pazmino, has caused nearby families to evacuate their homes.
The latest sinkhole is estimated to measure 8 feet wide and 10 feet deep. It's located between two homes on Lake Shore Ranch Drive. The sinkhole is being monitored by the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews.
According to ABC News, there have been no injuries or structural damage resulting from the latest sinkhole disaster. Two nearby houses have been evacuated because the sinkhole has weakened the ground underneath them. Residents probably will never be allowed inside again, Jessica Damico of the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue told Reuters.
This latest sinkhole comes less than a month after Jeff Bush, 37, was killed in a previous sinkhole in Seffner. While sleeping in his bedroom at 240 Faithway Drive, Bush was swallowed into a 60-foot deep sinkhole on Feb. 28. His body was never found.
That sinkhole was filled with four truckloads of cement slab and concrete. The house was demolished.
The newest sinkhole is located 1.6 miles from Bush's home.
"I was thinking about the neighbors down the street about a mile and a half away, what happened to them about a month ago or so," resident Ginger Kephart told Florida News KCEN. "And so anyway, I just said, 'Oh, my God.' It put a fear, you know, in me."
Previous sinkholes were discovered in March. A sinkhole discovered on March 4 measured approximately 12 feet wide and five feet deep. That sinkhole caused no injuries, only destroying a fence. It was located near 1200 Cedar Tree Lane, approximately three miles from the newest sinkhole. The sinkhole discovered on March 5 opened at 7203 Trinity Place, about 10 miles from the newest one. The smaller sinkhole was one foot by five feet.
All four sinkholes have occurred within a 10-mile radius.
The Hillsborough County government has created a web page for concerns and reports of sinkholes.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
