What appeared at first to be a massive sinkhole in Ventura was more likely a construction failure caused by an improperly shored foundation.
The 25-foot hole developed at a construction site near Thompson Boulevard and East Front Street Thursday morning, and it consumed vehicles and structures. The site has since been red-tagged, indicating it’s unsafe and uninhabitable.
While initial reports indicated the hole may have developed due to underground water, city officials later said it was a “shoring failure” involving the foundation of the under-construction apartment building.
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A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT) -
A property adjacent to a Ventura construction site has been red-tagged as a sinkhole swallows vehicles and structures. (KEYT)
Aerial footage shows that one wall of the construction site caved in, damaging a nearby property’s asphalt lot and several vehicles that were parked there.
“They didn’t shore up the foundation, and they dug a hole and it collapsed. Dumb,” neighbor Woody Maxwell told KTLA’s Erin Myers. “Considering the stuff they can fix, I’m sure they can fix this. It’s just going to cost time and money.”
No injuries have been reported, and city officials have told nearby residents that they are not in immediate danger.
