Residents of the district, Tabak, stated that a sinkhole occurred near the stone foot of the historic Kısıkyayla regulator at the 18th kilometer of the Apa Alemdar Irrigation Canal, which is the main transmission canal of the Konya Closed Basin Project in Alibeyhüyüğü Mahallesi.
Tabak, who went to the place where the sinkhole occurred with his friends, explained that they heard a sound coming from underground and when they went towards that sound, they saw a small sinkhole.
Tabak also mentioned that shortly after, another sinkhole formed a little further ahead, and later these sinkholes grew and merged, causing a large sinkhole to form with a loud noise and the force of the water.
Describing the terrifying moments, Tabak said, “It was an incredible sound. The collapse of a tiny hole with a loud noise was really chilling, I was very scared. I thought the ground would split and we would fall into it. Later, the area where we were also collapsed. We saw that all the water from Çarşamba Creek was going underground. We had just seen a flock of sheep and a shepherd passing by half an hour before the sinkhole formed. Not forming on the weekend may have prevented a major disaster. Because families would go there for picnics on the weekend, so there would definitely be someone there.”
The muhtar (village head) of Alibeyhüyüğü Mahallesi, Himmet Tabak, also recalled that other sinkholes had recently formed along the same route.
Tabak emphasized that the formation of sinkholes in the area is unsettling and said, “We knew that sinkholes were common in Karapınar, but we never expected them here. The residents of the neighborhood are starting to feel anxious. We know what’s above ground, but we don’t know where sinkholes will form or what will happen underground. This is a bit scary. We knew that the groundwater in the region was decreasing based on the water levels in wells. It continues to decline. I urge our farmers to use underground water more consciously and efficiently to prevent such disasters from occurring and increasing.”
