Dalaguete sinkhole, Ginatilan crack found

ANOTHER sinkhole was discovered in barangay Casay, Dalaguete, southeast Cebu yesterday and may have been triggered by the Feb. 6 earthquake that hit Central Visayas.

A 20-meter crack in the ground was also discovered in a barangay in Ginatilan town, southwest Cebu.

Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) 7 Chief Geologist Al Amil Berador said he would go there soon to verify the changes.

He asked the public to remain calm and stay away from the danger zones.

The sinkhole in Dalaguete is in the farm of the Enopia family. Police estimated it to be 20 meters to 25 meters wide and 10 feet to 15 feet deep.

Several banana plants were lost in the hole.

Casay barangay captain Joseph Belamia said the sinkhole was still small when he was first informed about it. But as the days passed by, the hole grew bigger.

He cordoned off the area and put warning signs. He also reported the situation to Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante.

Miguel Gonzaga, a resident of sitio Carpo, said it was around 6 p. m. on February 7 when they heard loud explosion.

The next morning, they checked the area and found the sinkhole.

The sinkhole is about 200 meters from the highway and 150 meters from the barangay road.

The nearest house is about 300 meters away.

Belamia said it is possible that the sinkhole was formed because of the Feb. 6 earthquake.

He said that municipal engineers already checked the sinkhole and they would coordinate with the MGB.

In barangay Anao, Ginatilan town, residents reported to the police of a sinkhole in a cornfield.

But Ginatilan Police Chief Christopher Castro said there was no sinkhole but a 20-meter crack.

The crack in Ginatilan is about 100 meters away from the Anao Elementary School. / Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan and Reporter Rhea Ruth Rossel