NIXA, Mo. - A leisurely Sunday morning turned frightening for one southwest Missouri man when a giant sinkhole opened up and swallowed a portion of his home, including his garage and a car parked inside.
在本应是悠然自得的一个周日早晨，一位家住密苏里州西南方的男子却经受了一场惊吓。一个巨大的地洞吞没了他的部分住所，其中包括车库和里面的一辆车。
The homeowner was reading the paper when the ground started shifting around 8:30 a.m. Initially, the man thought a tornado was responsible for the loud rumble, said city spokesman Bryan Newberry.
据该市发言人Bryan Newberry介绍说，大约在早上8点半左右，房子的主人正在看报，地面开始振动。最初，这名男子还以为听见的巨大轰隆声源于龙卷风。
No one was hurt, but at least six other homes in a half-block area were evacuated while geologists evaluated the widening hole. It measured between 55 and 65 feet in diameter and about 75 feet deep.
没有人员伤亡，由于地质学家要测量地洞的大小，附近至少6所房子的住户已经被撤离。这个洞的直径在55英尺（约为16.8米）至65英尺，深75英尺。
Newberry said the geologists, including one from Missouri State University, were considering several possibilities, including that an underground cavern gave way.
Newberry说，来自密苏里州大学等单位的地质学家正在思考造成事故的各种原因，其中包括一个地下通道。
By early evening, only two homes remained off limits — the partially collapsed residence and another home to the north of it. Newberry said the neighborhood was built in the late 1960s.These homes had been there without problems until this point, he said.
事发当天晚上，只有两座房子还处于封锁之中。一座是倒塌的那座房子，另一座是它北面的房子。Newberry说，这批房子都建于上世纪60年代。他说：“到这次事故发生之前，这里的房子还没有出现过问题。”
