WorkSafe says it could take up to 12 months to investigate an accident in Rotorua in which a woman fell into a sinkhole and suffered serious burns.
Workmen fill in the sinkhole at Whakarewarewa Village. Photo: Supplied / Rotorua Lakes Council
It has opened a formal investigation into the incident.
The woman, from Perth in Australia, remains in a serious but stable condition at Waikato Hospital.
The geothermal sinkhole which was about two metres long and a metre wide and long has been filled in and steam vents installed.
The woman was entering Whakarewarewa Village last Thursday afternoon when the ground fell away.
The sinkhole was deep and steam filled, and a volcanologist said heavy rain may have contributed to the collapse.
The village is temporarily closed.
Rotorua sinkhole on 28 July 2022. Photo: Supplied / Rotorua Lakes Council