BELLEVILLE, Ill. — The Ruler Foods grocery store in Belleville, Illinois, has been closed due to mine subsidence in the area.
The grocer, located at 1703 N Belt West, had posted to social media on Sunday due to a "water main break" but hadn't given an update since. On Tuesday, Belleville Fire Chief Stephanie Mills confirmed the Illinois Department of Natural Resources inspected the area and found that mine subsidence was occurring.
The subsidence will be monitored daily, and it was unclear if the store would reopen, Mills said.
Mine subsidence happens when voids created by underground mining collapse, causing a sinking, or subsidence, of the ground surface.
It's a well-documented problem in Illinois, where more than 800,000 acres across the state have been undermined for coal, according to Illinois DNR. There's even a state agency —the Abandoned Mined Lands Reclamation Division — devoted to abating hazards and environmental problems caused by past coal mining activities.
Officials did not give further details on the extent of the subsidence.
