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Giant sinkholes threaten a livestock farmer's barn in central Turkey

A report from Konya links the collapses to drought and intensive groundwater pumping, with further cavities threatening the farm.

Channel: TF1 INFO ·

FranceStory of November 10, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of TF1 INFO's most watched videos since yesterday, with 424,038 views.

TF1 INFO: The news division of TF1, a private French television channel owned by the Bouygues group. 1.8M subscribers and 2B views.

Des trous géants apparaissent et engloutissent des hectares de terres en Turquie !｜TF1 INFO

The danger is not only the enormous holes already visible beside Fatih Şık's farm. Three more underground cavities threaten to collapse beneath his livestock barn, according to a report by France's TF1 INFO.

Şık, a livestock farmer in Karapınar in Turkey's central Konya province, points out two sinkholes that opened near his property in 2023 and 2024. He recalls hearing the ground rumble at night before an enormous boom as the more recent one collapsed.

The report shows circular chasms cutting into agricultural land and says some can reach 100 meters across and 60 meters deep. These natural geological formations, known as dolines, have become much more frequent in the region over the past two decades, the broadcaster reports.

Its explanation connects the disappearing ground to disappearing water. A shortage of rain, combined with heavy pumping for agricultural irrigation, depletes underground water reserves. An animated diagram illustrates how falling groundwater can leave limestone cavities vulnerable to collapse, bringing the land above down with them.

The segment also includes imagery explicitly labeled as AI-generated, alongside footage of the sinkholes and Şık's account. It ends with the warning about cavities beneath his barn: the threat extends beyond land that has already fallen away.

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