A sinkhole in Sta Fe town is still unstable but families who were asked to evacuate from the area in sitio Dapdap, barangay Langub have returned to their homes despite warnings from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
Eddie Llamedo, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) information officer, said tension cracks around the sinkhole are a sign that soil within the 30 meter radius could collapse anytime.
“Naay possibility nga mo collapse pa ang portion of the hole or cavity. Dili even ang ground an indication nga wala pa ni stabilize,” he said.
(There is a possibility that a portion of the hole or cavity will collapse. The ground is not even, an indication that it still has not stabilized.)
Llamedo said MGB7 is scheduled to make a second visit to the area soon to update progress of the sinkhole and verify data from the barangay’s monitoring team.
They also have to check if security measures ordered by MGB7, like the installation of cordon around the sinkhole, remain in place.
“So far sa MGB7, wala mi mag issue ug advisory telling them to go back (but they have returned home),” said Llamedo.
Sta. Fe Mayor Jose Esgana ordered about 80 families who live close to the sinkhole to evacuate following its discovery on July 25.
Llamedo added MGB 7 personnel were supposed to visit Kinatarkan Island on Friday but their visit was cancelled because of other concerns that they have to attend to. They are arranging a new schedule for the visit.
Inspection, Llamedo said, will be limited on physical observation of the area because MGB7 does not have a ground penetrating radar (GPR) that looks like a mower and capable of measuring the depth and extent of the sinkhole.
MGB’s lone GPR is in their Central Office.
“It would be hard to transport it to Kinatarkan Island because it’s big. Waves are also very strong,” said Llamedo.
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