The sinkhole seen ’round the Bay Area
on April 25, 2010
Ten days after a gaping yawn in the earth swallowed two cars and sent incredible images beaming around the world, Richmond’s ground has stabilized.
But people still click to see the incredible images.
An Associated Press video on youtube had logged nearly 3,000 views by late Sunday night.
The attraction? A 20-foot-deep hole that spontaneously opened April 15, drawing in two cars, a chain-link fence, a lane of paved road and portions of sidewalks and gutters.
Richmond native Mark Wassberg was walking home when he stumbled on the developing drama. He had his video camera in his backpack.
“I just saw some people with their hands on their heads like they didn’t know what was going on,” Wassberg said. “Then I saw this huge hole. I got right up to the edge of it and was looking down in it.”
Wassberg sold clips of his video to several Bay Area news outlets. He provided a longer version to Richmondconfidential.org.
The city has not announced a determination of what triggered the ground’s collapse on on Via Verdi, just off El Portal Drive.
Sinkholes in urban areas are often caused when deep ground becomes saturated by breaks in underwater piping systems.
3 Comments
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Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city.
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Sorry I didn’t stop by when it happened, been busy. San Pablo creek runs right under it, the tunnel of some sort from the ’50s collapsed. It was obvious to many, but eluded even more.
xo, Biggles
The hole is sinking again! They had to start pumping and digging on Saturday.
Biggles
I banked out $500 by selling the video to the press I’m sure some of you send by pretty face lol. Saturday about 3:pm I’d filmed the cave in of part of the street but stupid me i tape over it, I kick myself in the ass about 5 times and cried, I lost 500 that day. I was hoping to filmed the person trapped in the car that was in the sinkhole and crying for help, i would of make out like a bandit filming that but its not over yet, stay tuned for more great action here in Richmond, as the bloodhound that’s me Mark Wassberg goes out filming the violence more blood, guts and tears.