Apolda (dpa/th) – A man who was mowing his lawn died in a sudden sinkhole in Bad Sulza (Weimarer Land). A police spokesman said it was not yet clear whether he was swept away on Monday when the earth in his garden suddenly opened up or whether, on closer inspection, he fell into the approximately six meter deep hole. His wife was looking for the 62-year-old and only found the lawnmower and a hole in the garden. Rescue workers could only get the man dead out of the hole.
The earth gave way steadily during the rescue efforts, said the police spokesman. Could there be more sinkholes in the region? “The concern is definitely there.” Around the hole was largely cordoned off on Monday.
The Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation (TLUBN) as well as the police and fire brigade were on site to clarify the circumstances. According to the investigators, it is still completely unclear whether the sinkhole could be related to previous mining activities in this area.
