ALTON — The underground mine that collapsed and left behind a massive sinkhole at a park here Wednesday morning was an active limestone operation, the mining company confirmed Thursday.
Workers evacuated the mine in time, and no injuries were reported.
Security footage has circulated widely online that showed the collapse and resulting hole, which swallowed a light pole and a large portion of soccer turf at Gordon Moore City Park. The collapse happened about 8:30 a.m., said Mike Haynes, director of Parks and Recreation for Alton.
The hole is about 50 feet deep and 100 feet wide, Haynes said.
The mine underneath the soccer field is part of a limestone quarry owned by Maryland Heights-based New Frontier Materials. New Frontier acquired the quarry, which produces crushed limestone and a high-calcium limestone product used in agricultural applications, from Fred Weber Inc. in 2021.
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It was still unclear Thursday morning what, exactly, caused the collapse.
A mine collapse left a giant hole Wednesday, June 26, 2024, below the Gordon Moore Park Athletic Fields in Alton.
The park closed on Wednesday, and it will remain off-limits for at least a while.
“The impacted area has been secured and will remain off limits for the foreseeable future while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs,” New Frontier said in a statement.
A spokesperson for New Frontier said the company reported the collapse to the federal agency the Mine Safety Health Administration, which investigates such collapses.
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