A massive sinkhole opened up in front of a coastal mansion in Malibu on Tuesday, causing the driveway to collapse. The incident led to a gas leak early in the morning, with authorities and utility services swiftly responding to the situation. SoCalGas confirmed that the gas leak was contained after a few hours, but as a precaution against coastal erosion, natural gas services were temporarily halted for a section of the street.
The sinkhole, measuring approximately 7.5 to nine meters deep and 18 meters wide, extends into the roadway. Following the event, a local emergency was declared by officials, and an evacuation order was issued for 31 properties in the vicinity. Despite requests for comment, representatives for Nicolas Cage, the reported owner of the property, did not immediately respond.
The mansion, reportedly purchased by Cage in 2024 according to property records, suffered damage during a coastal flooding advisory in the Los Angeles area caused by the aftermath of Hurricane Marie, which had transitioned back into a tropical storm. The storm, though not making landfall, brought heavy rain and hazardous waves along the Southern California coast over the holiday weekend.
The City of Malibu acknowledged the incident as part of broader regional coastal challenges and mentioned ongoing monitoring of coastal erosion at various vulnerable points along the coastline. The private neighborhood where the mansion is located sits between the ocean and the renowned Pacific Coast Highway.
Nicolas Cage, aged 62, recently appeared in the Amazon series “Spider-Noir” and is set to portray John Madden in an upcoming biographical film about the NFL figure later this year. With an extensive career spanning over 100 films, Cage received an Oscar for his role in “Leaving Las Vegas.”