Campers Flee As Huge Sinkhole Swallows Tents

A camper at a popular beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has described the terrifying speed with which a sinkhole swallowed a vehicle, caravan and camping trailer.

No one was reported injured and everyone had been accounted for, a police spokeswoman told AAP early on Sunday.

About 140 people were evacuated from the site as police and emergency crews responded, reports Channel 9 Australia.

“It’s always going to have an impact but the thing to remember is that it’s certainly not a one-off, there was certainly a sinkhole down there a couple of years ago and if you have a look at the area of Inskip and the camping grounds in its entirety it does have minimal effect”, he said.

According to eyewitness reports, there was panic and people were screaming when they started to realize that the sinkhole was expanding.

In 2011, a similar sinkhole emerged at the same campsite, again with no injuries.

“Rangers and police have erected traffic barriers and warnings signs to advise beachgoers of potential risks”.

“There is a real possibility the hole could expand with ocean currents, so people are urged to avoid the area,” Mr Clifton said.

The area has now been cordoned off to prevent vehicle and pedestrian access, though other camping grounds at Inskip Point remain open, reported The Guardian. Local media are reporting a number of minor earthquakes in the area in recent weeks, though geoscientists don’t believe the two occurrences are linked.

“People were basically on the edge of it with their van, trying to madly get their vans out”, she said. No one was injured or missing. “They only just got their 4wds (four wheel-drives) and caravans out with seconds to spare as their campsite disappeared three metres down into the ocean”, the post said.

Modin said she was anxious the incident would make people frightened to camp at Inskip Point.