Giant sinkhole could swallow Australian peninsula

The Queensland peninsular where an enormous sinkhole has opened up could eventually disappear, a geotechnical engineer warned on Monday.

Hundreds of campers were evacuated from the Inskip Point camping ground in Queensland on Saturday night after the sinkhole swallowed a car, caravan, tents and a camping trailer.

Geotechnical engineer Allison Golsby told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday that scientific reports indicate the entire peninsular could fall away.

The sinkhole is more than 200 meters wide each way and is growing.

"People have said that at some stage they think Inskip Point may not be there," she said.

"Now that could be thousands of years, it could be hundreds of years."

Golsby said the area has a history of sinkholes and should be closely monitored to warn of any further disasters.

Luckily no lives were lost when the hole suddenly appeared.

"The ideal answer is (it is) great to monitor because then we keep everybody in the right place and they won't be put in a position like that," she said.

Campsites on near the sinkhole will stay closed until further assessment. Endi