Energy company assessing damage after giant hole opens near Isle of Capri Casino
Crews are preparing to assess the damage after a possible sinkhole opened up Thursday just after 5 p.m. near Shelley and Guinotte avenues in Kansas City.
John Mink, communications director for Spire Energy, said it is currently safe to be in the area surrounding the 30-foot-wide hole. That area includes the Isle of Capri Casino.
“There is no cause for concern” in terms of public safety, Mink said.
He said, although there were reports of evacuation at the time of the collapse, Spire never asked individuals in the area to evacuate.
Water and gas lines were damaged last night, but Mink said it is unclear at this time what caused the hole and whether either line was damaged prior to the collapse.
Heather Frierson, a spokesperson for Kansas City water, said that because the cause is uncertain the hole cannot be classified as a sinkhole yet.
Spire energy crews are currently working to pump water out of the hole so they can assess the damage to the gas line.
Frierson said water crews will repair lines after the gas lines have been fixed.
“From a safety standpoint, particularly from the crews that were down there, we want to make sure it’s stable,” Mink said.
This story was originally published June 7, 2019 at 11:18 AM.
