The sinkhole in Sitio Bairan, Brgy. Gen. Luna, Toboso in Negros Occidental, which is about 500 meters from an earthquake fault line, has been cordoned off with yellow tape to ensure the safety of students passing through the area, Mayor Richard Jaojoco said on Monday, Feb. 16.
The sinkhole has deepened from 9 feet to 10 feet and the cracks are getting bigger, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Hospicio Carbajosa Jr. said.
The students living further above the area where the sinkhole is have to walk a longer route to get to school to avoid it, the mayor said.
The area was cordoned off to prevent children from falling into the cracks, he said.
A house that was being built near the area is now tilting on its side due to earth movement and has cracks in the flooring, he said.
It was not occupied yet and the owner halted construction, Jaojoco said.
Representatives from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau – Negros Island Region, the Provincial Environment Management Office, and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office are set to visit the area on Wednesday, the mayor said.
The sinkhole is situated on a mountainside that is about 500 meters from the Calatrava-Toboso earthquake fault line that is part of the East Negros Fault System.*
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