A Deep Lake in Russia Vanishes Overnight

Local fishermen in the village of Bolotnikovo in Russia who went out to fish in their favorite lake got the surprise of their life when they saw a deep hole with a muddy bottom instead where the lake used to be the day before. "I lookedand there was no water," said one of the fishermen. "I thought: Oh, my God, what's going on?" Rescuers were called out to see if anyone disappeared with the water, which is believed to have drained into subterranean cave systems.

According to local official Dmitry Klyuev, whole houses were swallowed under similar circumstances 70 years ago.

The superstitious locals believe otherwise. Youngsters who used to swim in the lake have heard of stories, including that of a church that lay under the water. "We used to go swimming there, but we were rather afraid of its depth, and there were various rumors that the lake had appeared during the reign of the feared Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It had been "shrouded in dark mystery" ever since. Coincidentally, the name Bolotnikovo translates roughly as "boggy."

Strangely, another lake in Chile also disappeared.

In a related event, see how this circular, 100-meter-deep sinkhole swallowed up half a building in Guatemala.

This is sourced from BBC news.