Thursday, May 8, 2008

Texas Sinkhole


The southeast Texas town of Daisetta is the site of a massive sinkhole estimated at 600 feet long and 150 feet deep, and still cracking.

The sinkhole which started as big cracks in the road has swallowed vehicles, telephone poles, trees and oil field equipment.

The black liquid that partially fills the hole is believed to be oil or oilfield sludge. HazMat officials have been sent to the area.

Fast Facts

1. Location: Highway 770, north of Daisetta
2. No hazards from sinkhole expected
3. No injuries reported

Daisetta

Daisetta is a small town about 60 miles northeast of Houston and was once a boomimg oil town but now has only 1,000 residents.

Daisetta sits atop a salt dome, a place where oil brine and natural gas are stored underground. The ground is thought to have caved in due to a collapse of the salt dome causing a giant sinkhole.

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