It is crucial for geotechnical engineers to understand the mechanics of underground openings. Its study and prediction require the use of advanced numerical tools to capture failure initiation and large deformations during the collapse. Underground openings are the causes of settlement and eventual failure during tunnel construction. Moreover, understanding the progression of internal collapse and the corresponding ground surface manifestation is also essential to predict and prevent the global failure of levees and water retaining structures subjected to pipe leakage. This paper studies the mechanism of underground trapdoor collapse and surface settlement manifestation using the Material Point Method (MPM). MPM is considered for its ability to deal with large deformations. The capability of MPM to capture the whole collapse process is evaluated, including the prediction of ground surface settlement and the failure mechanism. A trapdoor problem based on an experimental benchmark is numerically simulated considering different geometric configurations. The MPM results are compared to (a) experimental data, (b) empirical relations for the prediction of surface settlement, and (c) failure mechanisms discussed by previous researchers. Overall, the numerical model agrees with the experimental benchmark, empirical predictions, and trends presented in the literature. The results also show the importance of the value of cohesion in the collapse predictions.