Tropical storm Agatha opens up massive, horrifying sinkholes in Guatemala City

I saw this post and photos originally on io9.com. There are more details on BoingBoing. The photo below is of a sinkhole 20 meters deep and 15 meters wide after tropical storm Agatha struck the country. Local press reports that it swallowed an entire 3-story building, and there were more sinkholes in the city itself.

Guatemala is in a state of crisis today after twin natural calamities struck: First, on May 27 the Pacaya volcano (just 19 miles from the capital) woke up in a bad mood. Lava flowed, black sand and rock and ash spewed everywhere. A newscaster covering the news near the volcano was killed by flying rocks.

Two days later on May 29, tropical storm “Agatha” struck, destroying homes, causing floods, and creating tens of thousands of internally displaced. Infrastructure in this country—where the majority live in poverty—is very poor, and ill-equipped to handle such a double blow. As of last night, official numbers on storm: about 30,000 “refugees,” close to 120,000 evacuated, 93 dead and rising. Guatemala’s one international airport has been has been closed for days, and just as it prepares to reopen today, there’s word of new volcanic activity.

Sinkhole in Guatemala City

Sinkhole in Guatemala City

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