Patrons enjoying a yummy stack of buttery pancakes at a Mississippi International House of Pancakes, found their cars at the bottom of an enormous hole in the ground Saturday night.
Way to ruin an appetite!
Witnesses told local station KSLA they heard a series of continuous crashes and booms before the power went out. They then rushed out to see a 50-foot deep hole running about 600 feet long... with cars in it.
USA Today reports, emergency responders recall responding to a call around 7:15 p.m. CT about cars being submerged in mud.
"We received a call of vehicles going through the pavement at the IHOP in Meridian," Patrol Lieutenant Rita Jack with Meridian Police told NBC News.
Meridian Fire Department Chief Battalion Wayne Cook told WTOK station. "Upon arrival, we found multiple vehicles in the ditch. At this time, we are trying to stabilize this and keep everyone away."
"The sinkhole is huge," Jack said. "If you imagine a football field cut in half, it is every bit of 50 feet wide and about 100 - 125 feet wide. We are talking 14 to 15 vehicles. It is very scary. We are so fortunate that no injuries were sustained. We are gonna keep it under observation until we know that it is clear and safe."
Luckily, the massive opening in the pavement did not take the recently built International House of Pancakes and all its new patrons with it.
WTOK reports many bystanders stood bye in awe. Sandra White said, "This is the first time I've ever seen this, this is just incredible, I've never seen this before."
Meridian Public Safety Director Buck Roberts explains the collapse is not a sinkhole because it was not caused by an underground layer of water that has dried up and left a barren hole in the ground. Roberts told "You can call it what you want, a cave-in or whatever, but it is not a sinkhole."
NBC News advises, rain in the current area could delay efforts to recover the fallen cars, but officials are expected to get a move on the recovery mission within three to five days.