A farmer has died after a sinkhole appeared out of nowhere in Russia, with another sinkhole 400 miles away dubbed the 'Gates of Hell' eerily widening around the same time.
Tragically, a combine harvester was swallowed up by one of the two giant disaster pits which suddenly opened up in Siberia.
As explained by the British Geological Survey, sinkholes are typically saucer-shaped hollows which result from some kind of collapse or removal of an underlaying layer of rocks.
The driver is reported to have died (East2West News)
They can appear rapidly and often without any warning and can be triggered by a variety of processes from gradual dissolution to the factor of human activity inducing them to form.
The harvester driver was reportedly killed aged 38 as the farm vehicle plunged into the whopping 35ft crater in Russkiy Melkhituy village, Irkutsk region.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear reason for why this massive sinkhole opened from nowhere in the Russian village.
“The combine harvester is lying with its entire load, its full weight, on the cabin,” said an onlooker. “The hole is larger in diameter on the inside than on the outside.”
Four hundred miles away from this incident, a mega crater at a Russian ski resort had already earned the title of a ‘gate to hell’.
But pretty eerily, the sinkhole suddenly widened and deepened, close to multiple holiday homes.
It’s thought an earthquake may have caused the further sinking and it is also believed there were no casualties in this case.
They can appear rapidly and often without any warning and can be triggered by a variety of processes from gradual dissolution to the factor of human activity inducing them to form.
The harvester driver was reportedly killed aged 38 as the farm vehicle plunged into the whopping 35ft crater in Russkiy Melkhituy village, Irkutsk region.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear reason for why this massive sinkhole opened from nowhere in the Russian village.
“The combine harvester is lying with its entire load, its full weight, on the cabin,” said an onlooker. “The hole is larger in diameter on the inside than on the outside.”
Four hundred miles away from this incident, a mega crater at a Russian ski resort had already earned the title of a ‘gate to hell’.
But pretty eerily, the sinkhole suddenly widened and deepened, close to multiple holiday homes.
It’s thought an earthquake may have caused the further sinking and it is also believed there were no casualties in this case.
The hole at Sheregesh (East2West News)
The original ‘gate to hell’ opened up back in December 2022 on top of an iron-ore mine. And before this new collapse, it was already a massive 50 metres (165ft) wide and 180 metres (600ft) deep.
For those more interested in the spookier, darker things, it had already become a tourist attraction for people to be able to ‘gaze into hell’ – and now it’s just got even closer.
Home to the whopper sinkhole, the Sheregesh ski resort is one of Russia’s most popular and is famous for holding an annual swimsuit skiing competition in spring.
Now that’s two very interesting things to be popular for – a ‘gate to hell’ and people skiing in their trunks.Featured Image Credit: East2West News
Updated 09:36 7 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 09:31 7 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Scientists revise chances 'God of Chaos' meteor will strike Earth as it is set to get closer than satellites
NASA have weighed in on the chances of the potentially catastrophic event
A giant asteroid named the 'God of Chaos' is set to pass by our planet closer than some satellites and scientists have once again revised their predictions as to whether it could hit us.
99942 Apophis - also known as the God of Chaos - is a peanut-shaped asteroid measuring a whopping 340 metres wide.
On 13 April 2029, Apophis is set to pass by Earth within an estimated 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) of its surface.
But scientists have differing opinions as to what the chances are it could actually hit us.
While Apophis' current trajectory isn't set to crash into Earth, a study - published last month in The Planetary Science journal - has found that an object as small as two-feet could change this.
Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert and co-author Benjamin Hyatt looked into the odds of the asteroid colliding with another object causing it to hurtle our way.
They found that a relatively small object of around 0.6 metres (two-feet) could be enough to shift the asteroid's trajectories, leading it to collide with our planet at a later date.
And, for 'God of chaos' to hit Earth in 2029, the object it collided with would have to be around 3.4 metres in size.
Fortunately for us, the scientists say that the odds of this happening are 'exceptionally low' (around 2.7 percent, to be precise).
The original ‘gate to hell’ opened up back in December 2022 on top of an iron-ore mine. And before this new collapse, it was already a massive 50 metres (165ft) wide and 180 metres (600ft) deep.
For those more interested in the spookier, darker things, it had already become a tourist attraction for people to be able to ‘gaze into hell’ – and now it’s just got even closer.
Home to the whopper sinkhole, the Sheregesh ski resort is one of Russia’s most popular and is famous for holding an annual swimsuit skiing competition in spring.
Now that’s two very interesting things to be popular for – a ‘gate to hell’ and people skiing in their trunks.Featured Image Credit: East2West News
Updated 09:36 7 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 09:31 7 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Scientists revise chances 'God of Chaos' meteor will strike Earth as it is set to get closer than satellites
NASA have weighed in on the chances of the potentially catastrophic event
A giant asteroid named the 'God of Chaos' is set to pass by our planet closer than some satellites and scientists have once again revised their predictions as to whether it could hit us.
99942 Apophis - also known as the God of Chaos - is a peanut-shaped asteroid measuring a whopping 340 metres wide.
On 13 April 2029, Apophis is set to pass by Earth within an estimated 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) of its surface.
But scientists have differing opinions as to what the chances are it could actually hit us.
While Apophis' current trajectory isn't set to crash into Earth, a study - published last month in The Planetary Science journal - has found that an object as small as two-feet could change this.
Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert and co-author Benjamin Hyatt looked into the odds of the asteroid colliding with another object causing it to hurtle our way.
They found that a relatively small object of around 0.6 metres (two-feet) could be enough to shift the asteroid's trajectories, leading it to collide with our planet at a later date.
And, for 'God of chaos' to hit Earth in 2029, the object it collided with would have to be around 3.4 metres in size.
Fortunately for us, the scientists say that the odds of this happening are 'exceptionally low' (around 2.7 percent, to be precise).
An asteroid named the 'God of Chaos' is set to get closer to Earth than some satellites in 2029 (Getty Stock Images)
Wiegert explained: "The odds of an unseen small asteroid deflecting Apophis enough to direct it into a collision with Earth in 2029 are approximately 10-8.
"Given that only 5 percent of such impulses are in the correct direction to generate an Earth impact, the overall probability of a small impact directing Apophis into a collision with the Earth is less than one in two billion."
However, NASA have weighed in on the potential event following investigations into the asteroid last year.
In a statement, they said: "The intrigue of Apophis is its exceptionally close approach of our planet on April 13, 2029.
"Although Apophis will not hit Earth during this encounter or in the foreseeable future, the pass in 2029 will bring the asteroid within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) of the surface – closer than some satellites, and close enough that it could be visible to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere.
"Scientists estimate that asteroids of Apophis’ size, about 367 yards across (about 340 metres), come this close to Earth only once every 7,500 years."
Wiegert explained: "The odds of an unseen small asteroid deflecting Apophis enough to direct it into a collision with Earth in 2029 are approximately 10-8.
"Given that only 5 percent of such impulses are in the correct direction to generate an Earth impact, the overall probability of a small impact directing Apophis into a collision with the Earth is less than one in two billion."
However, NASA have weighed in on the potential event following investigations into the asteroid last year.
In a statement, they said: "The intrigue of Apophis is its exceptionally close approach of our planet on April 13, 2029.
"Although Apophis will not hit Earth during this encounter or in the foreseeable future, the pass in 2029 will bring the asteroid within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) of the surface – closer than some satellites, and close enough that it could be visible to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere.
"Scientists estimate that asteroids of Apophis’ size, about 367 yards across (about 340 metres), come this close to Earth only once every 7,500 years."
