Cebu sinkhole site off limits to residents

A residential area in sitio in Cebu where a sinkhole was discovered last weekend is now off-limits.

Local authorities will no longer allow residents to return to the area in Sitio Dapdap in Barangay Langub in Kinatarcan Island, Sta. Fe, GMA Cebu's Chona Carreon reported.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 7 chief geologist Al Berador said their findings indicate the sinkhole is getting deeper.

Berador said residents placed a measuring stick in the area to determine if there were land movements after the sinkhole was discovered last Saturday.

As of Tuesday, he said the sinkhole sank one more meter.

The area has been cordoned off as of Wednesday so residents will not be able to return.

Berador also said there are seven sinkholes detected on the island. He asked residents near those areas to evacuate to safer ground.

However, he also urged them to choose their relocation sites well and to avoid areas resembling a giant wok, which he said may be a sign of a sinkhole.

The report said the MGB Region 7 and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council inspected the island.

Meanwhile, a separate report on state-run Philippines News Agency said 237 residents from 102 families were evacuated to the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Sitio Dapdap, Barangay Langub, Kinatarkan islet.

The PNA report said this was due to a sinkhole measuring around 10x14 meters with a depth of one meter.

It quoted Berador as saying the affected area including the subsidence or the sinkhole with some tension cracks measured 20 by 40 meters, "which continues to be progressing."  — Joel Locsin/BM, GMA News