Environment

Sinkhole in Guatemala 2010 Photos, Video, After Agatha Storm

by Amy Judd | June 1, 2010 at 07:40 am

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A Massive Sinkhole Opened Up in Guatemala After Tropical Storm Agatha Swept Through Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador

Tropical Storm Agatha has killed at least 150 people so far with 92 in Guatemala alone. About 112,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and in Guatemala 13 bridges have collapsed and mudslides and massive flooding have swept away homes and roads and buried some people alive.

In Guatemala City a massive sinkhole opened up and according to nearby residents a three-storey building fell in to the hole. This photo was posted on the Guatemalan government Flickr stream and it is making the rounds on the Internet as people cannot believe this is a real photo. This street view photo of the sinkhole shows a different angle.

A local newspaper reported that a private security guard was killed when the sinkhole opened up, but authorities had not confirmed the fatality. Residents said that a poor sewage drainage system underground was to blame for the sinkhole. A similar hole opened up nearby last year, they said.

CBS also has a video report of the sinkhole.

In Honduras it is believed that about 14 people have been killed by Tropical Storm Agatha and over 3,500 have been evacuated from their homes. About 140 homes have been demolished by the extreme weather and 700 have sustained damage.

In El Salvador about nine people have been confirmed dead and out of the three countries this one seems to be recovering the fastest.

More rain could be coming however and the clean-up from the storm will continue for some time.