A major sinkhole has swallowed vehicles at a popular camping spot near Queensland’s Rainbow Beach overnight.
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No injuries have been reported but the hole swallowed up a caravan, auto and tents.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on Sunday morning urged people to stay away because the sinkhole could expand as ocean currents impacted on the existing sinkhole.
It happened at the Inskip Point campsite in the vicinity of Rainbow Beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Channel 9 Australia reports.
“We’ve cleared any campers in danger at the site”, he said.
Describing the incident, holidaymaker Casey Hughes told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) the sinkhole “sounded like a thunder noise” as it opened up.
“Can’t believe we all made it out, I thought we were gonners (sic) for sure, was truly scary how fast it came into our camp site and swallowed it all up”, Melanie Wotherspoon posted to social media.
Police and SES crews raced to the site, where no one was reported injured or missing.
Senior Ranger Dan Clifton said it is important for public safety that visitors avoid the area.
It’s believed that the massive hole could be linked to a number of minor earthquakes in the region in recent weeks.
A police spokesman said officers had left the scene.
“It’s now in the hands of National Parks, Sport and Racing”.
Police confirmed that all people involved with the two caravans have been accounted for and further evacuations of the camp ground have begun.
“It was pretty scary”, she said.
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“It was all gone just still don’t know how we all got out, one of our friends vans was half over the bank, then they winched it out, so so close (sic)”, Ms Turner wrote.
