Sinkhole forces evacuations in Tarpon Springs
TARPON SPRINGS (FOX 13) - Police are evacuating mobile home residents due to a sinkhole in Tarpon Springs.
The scene is along U.S. 19 near Mango Street. The view from SkyFOX showed the hole appears to be at least 60 feet wide and continues to expand.Tarpon Springs city officials said the hole is about 35 feet deep.
The city said it began as a small hole. A contractor was called to stop it from growing, but when the contractor began to add filler, a 30-inch Pinellas County water main ruptured.
The main was still "actively flowing" Wednesday afternoon, according to crews on the scene.
The hole is along a road inside the Tarpon Shores Mobile Home Park. Around 20 homes had been evacuated as a precaution and panels of fencing surrounding the park were falling into the muddy mire. It was unclear when residents would be able to return to their homes.
Crews on the scene noted the hole was not technically a sinkhole, which could hide an underground cavern of unknown dimensions.