Double Bass Top crack, on bassbar?

[cobee]

I've started playing again only recently, prior to that the bass was unused (mostly left in its soft case) at my parents house for about 5 years.
I've noticed a crack on the bass side of the instrument, it seems to run along the where the bass bar would be?

Does this indicate a major problem? Its not a surface scratch since I can feel a small change in the profile of the top with my fingers where the crack is. There also seems to be some warping around the bass side f-hole, where the top part of the inner f-hole has recessed into the body and the bottom has risen.

I took the best pictures I could - its the hairline crack starting from the bass side bridge foot, running vertically.

Thanks for any help.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

That appears to be a bass bar crack.

If you haven’t done so already, slack the strings.

What kind of bass is it?

 

[cobee]

That appears to be a bass bar crack.

If you haven’t done so already, slack the strings.

What kind of bass is it?

Well poopie. It's a Shen SB300 Rogeri, bought sometime in 2006.
I'll bring it to a luthier as soon as I can. Would the bass bar potentially have to be replaced?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Worse. The bass may be toast.

That’s a structurally critical area. You can’t just close the crack and cleat over it like you can in many other areas. Even if the repair is successful, it may cost you as much as the bass is worth, and its’ resale value will suffer significantly.

 

[cobee]

Worse. The bass may be toast.

That’s a structurally critical area. You can’t just close the crack and cleat over it like you can in many other areas. Even if the repair is successful, it may cost you as much as the bass is worth, and its’ resale value will suffer significantly.

Now you are breaking my heart.
How do such things happen? Is it the belly shifting from temperature/humidity changes?
Getting to a luthier ASAP, thanks for your help.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

You’re welcome. Good luck. And be more careful in the future, please.