23.2.07

Unbelievable



Giant sinkhole swallows homes in Guatemala City neighborhood; 2 killed

JUAN CARLOS LLORCA

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala

A 100-metre-deep sinkhole killed two teenage siblings when it swallowed about a dozen homes early Friday and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people in a crowded Guatemala City neighborhood.

Officials blamed the sinkhole on recent rains and an underground sewage flow from a ruptured main. The two bodies were found near the enormous fissure, floating in a river of sewage.

The pit emitted foul odors, loud noises and tremors, shaking the surrounding ground. A rush of water could be heard from its depths, and authorities feared it could widen or others could open up.

Edward Ramirez said he and other residents had been hearing noises and feeling tremors for about a month before the ground opened up before dawn, waking many in the poor neighborhood.


Read more at the Globe and Mail. My jaw dropped when I read about this and saw the amazing photo. Can you imagine a worse way to die? Ok, there must be worse ways, but drowning in sewage sludge in a hole that opened beneath your feet, while at home, has got to be near the top of the list. Those poor kids.

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