So the mysterious hole in Villerupt could have formed

Investigations have been in full swing The aim is to find out how the huge hole of almost five meters width and over two meters, which made the evacuation of two houses necessary.

However, the Bureau de Researches et de Géology Minière (BRGM), a public facility that is responsible for soil and underground risks, already submitted a first report in mid-February.

A natural cause is suspected

The main hypothesis is the complete or partial collapse of an underground cave.

The mayor of Villerupt, Pierrick Spizak, told « d'Ici » that the report « clarifies that the current state of knowledge has not yet been able to say which process is going on. Three natural processes are mentioned: the emptying of a cave filled with clay, the gradual outlet through groundwater or the collapse of the cave roof. In any case, the report indicates that the numerous rains that have decreased in the region in the past few weeks could be more of a trigger for the lowering than a water leak. ”

Specialists should create clarity

The municipal leader is now waiting for another specialized engineering office, which should determine the exact cause and, above all, give recommendations for the backfilling of the hole.

“As long as the hole is not filled, it ensures a climate of fear among the residents. I have already told them: if there was a great risk, we would have evacuated the district for a long time. That is not the case. In any case, it is better not to spread false rumors about the condition of the sewage system that the hole is said to have caused. That is dubious ”.

Until when the specialists will be on site is not yet known. The municipality has now made an application for recognition of the incident as a natural disaster. One of the residents was relocated at their own expense, the other house was not inhabited at the time of the incident.

This article first appeared at Virgule. Translation and editing: Marvin pushing.