Reindeer and dogs ran in panic when an area of land suddenly exploded like a volcano, leaving a giant crater up to 50 meters deep.
The giant crater appeared last week after a massive explosion in Russia’s Yamal peninsula , witnessed by local herders. The explosion caused the herd to flee, Express reported.
The hole appeared in the middle of the river after a big explosion in the Yamal peninsula of Russia.
The giant crater appeared amid warnings that more than 700 sites in the region could explode because of an eruption of methane gas from underground , endangering homes and industrial areas.
The sudden and deafening explosion shook the ground, sending multiple sparks into the sky for several minutes. Occurring at the riverside, the explosion sent rocks flying high and falling on both sides of the river.
The herders then immediately alerted the scientists.
Local herders said the explosion was like a volcano erupting.
The explosion is thought to be caused by a warming climate, causing the permafrost to melt and release methane gas.
Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky, Russia’s leading expert on the phenomenon, canceled his Black Sea tour and rushed to the area after the explosion.
He used fishing line to measure the depth of the sinkhole. The result is a hole 50m deep. This is believed to be the latest in a series of newly formed craters in the Arctic region of Siberia, Russia.
One witness said: “It was like a volcano erupting. Of course there was no lava, but the rock that came out was also heated by the heat.”
Rocks and soil flew up the riverbanks after the explosion.
Scientists examine large blocks of rock after the explosion.
Experts use fishing lines to measure the depth of the hole.
Dr Anton Sinitsky, director of the Arctic Research Center, was “shocked” by the power of the explosion. He fears similar methane explosions could happen anywhere on the Yamal peninsula.
Alexander Mazharov, deputy governor of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, said it was important to predict future explosions. Towns, villages, industrial facilities, pipelines and railways are all at risk, he warned.
About 700 sites with “bulging” ground have been identified as having a similar explosion risk, The Siberian Times reported.
“We need to know how to act because such explosions can happen anywhere,” he said.