A landslide in New York state leaves houses dangling a few centimeters from a giant crater

Images from Sunday’s scene in Waterford, New York show a house that hangs from the edge of a cliff and other houses just a few steps away. Initially, seven houses were evacuated, according to Waterford fire chief Donald Baldwin. But after the engineers inspected the area, that number was reduced to three.

No one was injured and no structures were destroyed.

“The landslide area was around 150-200 feet,” Baldwin told CNN. “It had the potential for serious injury, but there is none.”

The 12 people who had to evacuate their homes were taken to a temporary shelter, but have since found all other places to stay, Baldwin said.

Engineers and other city officials continue to monitor the scene because the slide is still moving, according to Baldwin. The stakes were placed in the ground to see how fast it is moving, according to the affiliate CNN WTEN.

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office said a drone was also used to assess the damage.

“The use of a drone for this purpose allowed all rescuers to maintain a safe distance from the collapse and examine the area above and below the slide without anyone physically entering the slide,” said the office of the sheriff in a Facebook post.

The cause of the landslide is unknown, Baldwin said, but noted that the area was a gravel pit.