Guatemala Sinkhole Gulps Homes

By Juan Carlos Llorca THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — A 330-foot-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.

Their father was still missing, according to disaster coordinator Hugo Hernandez.

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.

“People were shouting ‘The electric posts are falling down!’ ” said 26-year-old Ramirez, who lives 50 yards from the hole. “We are going to a friend’s house now. There’s no way we’ll stay here.”

Police helped residents move out of their homes throughout the day. Some officers carried refrigerators and TV sets on their shoulders, while other pushed sofas on makeshift carts.

The dead were identified as Irma and David Soyos, said emergency spokesman Juan Carlos Bolanos.

Rescue operations were on hold until a firefighter, suspended from a cable, could take video and photos above the hole and officials could use the documentation to decide how to proceed.

Security officials guarded the site from possible looters and to clear the area of onlookers. Cristobal Colon of the municipal water authority said the sewage main ruptured after becoming clogged.

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