A giant sinkhole swallowed a car, a towable caravan and a motorhome at a popular Queensland beach campsite on Saturday night, forcing the emergency evacuation of around 300 people in scenes that left witnesses shaken.
The hole opened gradually at Inskip Point at around 10.30pm local time, giving campers enough time to get clear before it reached its full extent. Initial assessments estimated the sinkhole to be approximately 325 feet wide and around 10 feet deep — larger than a football field — though authorities warned it could continue to grow.
No injuries were reported and all persons at the site were accounted for following the evacuation. Campers were reportedly alerted by a woman who ran through the campground warning people to get out, with many woken from sleep by the commotion.
Senior Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger Dan Clifton confirmed the area had been secured and cordoned off to prevent both vehicle and pedestrian access while assessments continue. Authorities have warned campers not to return to the affected section of the site due to the risk of further ground collapse.
The incident is not without precedent at the same location. A comparable sinkhole formed at the Inskip Point campsite in 2011, also without causing any injuries, raising questions about the geological stability of the area.
Local media have reported a number of minor earthquakes in the surrounding region in recent weeks, though geoscientists have indicated they do not believe the seismic activity and the sinkhole formation are connected.
Other camping areas at Inskip Point remain open and unaffected, according to reports, and the broader beach destination continues to welcome visitors outside the cordoned zone.
