ottawa-sinkhole
Ottawa sinkhole is a staggering 40 feet deep! Twitter / John Holtby

A downtown Ottawa sinkhole opened up between Laurier Avenue East and Waller Street. The massive sinkhole measured eight meters wide and 19 meters deep (26 feet wide, 40 feet deep) and completely shut down the busy intersection. The Light Rail Transit project suspended its tunneling work on the city's East Portal in response to the major collapse. A crew from the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) were working at the site when the hole formed. Thankfully, no one is injured.

According to reports, the LRT East Portal site was under around-the-clock tunneling work when the incident occurred. The cause of the sinkhole is unclear but all operations have stopped until engineers can understand the situation. Experts have not determined whether ongoing tunnel construction works contributed to the incident. According to city officials, crews were tasked to fill the sinkhole with concrete in order to stabilize the formation.

The massive downtown Ottawa sinkhole has left residents along Laurier Avenue without running water. What's more, the closure of the intersection has rendered traffic into chaos. According to Ottawa police, the giant sinkhole is one of the largest they have ever seen.

Sinkholes appear for a number of reasons. Chasms may occur when soluble rock, such as limestone, breaks down from heavily acidic rainfall or groundwater. As far as the Ottawa sinkhole is concerned, mine shafts, old wells and other artificial voids may be the cause of the hole. Consturction sites that place heavy loads without support can also cause pressure on the ground.