A massive 230-ft deep sinkhole had opened up in the middle of the road in a village on the famous island of Bali, cutting off locals and tourists from important routes leading to schools and essential markets.
The giant vertical gap that is reportedly nearly 100-foot wide appeared in Kedisan Village, near the world-famous Tegallalang rice fields in Gianyar Regency, Indonesia.
It first began as a small hole in the road but continued to widen until the surrounding ground collapsed as well and reached the newly reported size at around 11:00 pm local time on 11th September.
As the ground sank, the nearby irrigation channel also broke, local media said.
As a result, the water flow had to be redirected to prevent further land sinking.
Village authorities prohibited vehicles from approaching the dangerous road due to safety concerns.
The head of Banjar Cebok Hamlet in Kedisan Village, I Kadek Juniantara, said: “There are still motorists who don’t care and continue to use this route.
“In fact, we had to install barriers, but they were still forcibly crossed because this is a tourist route and a shortcut.”
Juniantara revealed that the current mobility of the local residents now requires them to travel more than four miles (from Banjar Cebok) even just to reach the village office.
The situation is the same for accessing schools.
The 36-year-old man added: “Most of the children from Banjar Cebok go to school in Kedisan, from preschool, kindergarten, elementary school to junior high school.”
Juniantara said he hopes that in the near future, the government can open a new road.
The village authorities have also reported the issue to the Gianyar Regency for immediate attention.
Meanwhile, local farmers have agreed to allow their land to be utilised for the road.
Locals claimed the road had started to give way back in December 2021 due to extreme weather conditions.
The head of Gianyar Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Ida Bagus Suamba, said: “This is still under investigation by the Public Works and People’s Housing Agency.
“Based on the study conducted, the estimated cost for repair and bridge construction could reach up to IDR 40 billion [GBP 2.09 million].”
