More Land, Trees Fall Into Assumption Sinkhole

BAYOU CORNE, La. (AP) — Officials say a growing, 5.5-acre sinkhole in northern Assumption Parish swamps gobbled up another strip of land on Tuesday.

John Boudreaux, director of the parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, tells The Advocate trees fell in with the collapse, but no one was injured.

He said the collapsed area extended from a mat road that Texas Brine Co. of Houston has installed to clean trees, other vegetative matter and oil out the sinkhole to a point 80 feet north or the road.

The sinkhole is located between Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou south of La. Highway 70.

A failed underground brine cavern encased within a mountain of salt is believed to have caused the sinkhole, which appeared Aug. 3.