Large Sinkhole Opens Up On High School Playground In Huntington Park
HUNTINGTON PARK (CBSLA.com) — A large sinkhole has opened up in the middle of a Los Angeles Unified School District campus playground in Huntington Park.
The hole, which measures 75 feet wide by 45 feet deep, was discovered Tuesday morning at Linda Esperanza Marquez High School at 6361 Cottage Street.
According to LAUSD's chief facility executive Mark Hovatter, the sinkhole was caused by man-made water collection basins that were installed underneath the pavement due to lack of space above ground.
Hovatter said soil or cement that was put over the basins could have failed and caused the hole to open up.
In January, school officials noticed minor cracking on the playground. They subsequently roped off the area.
LAUSD officials said it could take up to three months to restore the playground.
Similar incidents happened several years ago at two other schools in Burbank and the San Fernando Valley where there were rain water basins.
School officials said they will have engineers look into 40 other L.A. schools also with basins to make sure the same thing does not happen again.