Dozens of people were inside the 24-unit villa near Clermont as the ground sank before dawn on Monday, however everyone was safely evacuated. Windows were breaking and cracking was heard as the sinkhole, which grew to 60 feet in diameter, began to open.
Much of the state lies along a system of limestone caverns that are subjected to water erosion, causing them to cave in. A 15 foot deep crater has opened in the ground beneath the Summer Bay Resort villa, which is approximately 10 miles west of Disney World, said local fire Chief Tony Cuellar. Luis Perez, who was staying at a hotel across the road, told the Associated Press news agency: “You could see the building leaning, and you could see a big crack at the base of the building.”
Firefighters helped workers evacuate the building as they heard it cracking. The building then soon collapsed after, fire officials told the Orlando Sentinel. “My heart sunk.” resort president Paul Caldwell told reporters. “No doubt there would‘ve been injuries if they hadn’t gotten the building evacuated.”
In March, a sinkhole underneath a house in the suburbs of Tampa, Florida, took a man who was in his bed. However his body was never recovered. Sinkholes are fairly common in certain parts of Florida, even though most are small. The state‘s law require that home insurers to provide coverage against sinkholes.
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