“Underground” blast and then a “sinkhole”

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — A big explosion was heard from under the ground that resulted in what residents called a "sinkhole" near his residence at Barangay San Isidro in this city, Gesmark Lipio, 26, a lumpia wrapper-maker, said in exclusive interview the other day.

Gesmark said he went home after playing basketball at around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when the blast occurred and he saw earth materials tossed up a few feet above the ground. Some neighbors also said they heard the loud explosion.

In a separate interview, Gesmark’s auntie, Rosita Lipio, 56, and owner of a nearby “nipa hut” for a lumpia wrapper factory, had a different story on how the sinkhole was probably formed.

Rosita said there used to be a hole in that area that was already covered by vegetation. When it collapsed, she saw a stairway-like crevice leading to a deep hole. But as the “slight” explosions were still going on underneath the cave-in since the first one, the “stairs” disappeared, she said.

During the visit of The FREEMAN, another “slight” explosion was heard and felt underground prompting on-lookers to run away from the “sinkhole”, which is now off limits.

Rosita said barangay officials told her to transfer her house and “factory” elsewhere to be safe. These structures are just a few meters away from the “sinkhole.”

For more than five years since, she has been renting the space, for P200 a month, which is within the lot of the Enerio-Lim family that owns Lite Shipping Lines.

This city had a number of “sinkholes,” based on findings of the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources following the deadly magnitude-7.2 earthquake on October 15, 2013.

The most popular “sinkholes” were the one at Poblacion I and another in Barangay Taloto. Residents near these had been advised to transfer elsewhere but they ignored it.  — Ric V. Obedencio (FREEMAN)