Huge Sinkhole Outside His Malibu Mansion Forces Nicolas Cage Into a Hotel
Hollywood star Nicolas Cage has been forced to leave his home for the time being. A huge sinkhole opened up in front of his seafront mansion in Malibu, California, and he is now staying in a hotel with his family. The house is worth 10.5 million dollars.
The sinkhole appeared in the home's driveway on 8 September. It is 25 feet deep and measures 30 by 60 feet. It is believed that the powerful marine storm Marie, which hit California in early September, along with heavy rain and severe coastal erosion, caused the disaster.
As the hole opened, the driveway's asphalt and concrete cracked and collapsed into it. Part of a neighbouring construction site also fell into the sinkhole.
After the incident, residents were evacuated from 31 homes in the area, including Cage's house. Malibu city authorities said seven homes have been declared completely uninhabitable because of the dangerous conditions.
The remaining 24 homes have been 'red-tagged'. With the road collapsed, there is no way for fire service or police vehicles to reach the area, the authorities said.
Speaking recently on a panel at Los Angeles Comic Con, Nicolas Cage talked about his housing situation. 'I am somewhat homeless at the moment. Something happened at my house in Malibu, so I am basically living in a hotel now,' he said.
The outlet Page Six reported that Cage has already begun a fight to save his home. Within days of the disaster, he applied to the authorities for three emergency permits.
Among them, he has received permission to place sandbags outside the house to protect it from waves and erosion. He has also been approved to remove the asphalt and concrete debris from the hole and to excavate for soil testing.
On screen, Cage will soon appear alongside Antonio Banderas in the fifth season of HBO's 'True Detective'. The Oscar-winning actor will also appear as a football coach in Amazon's film 'Madden', due for release on 11 November.
