When the pit appeared, it 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.
The dead were identified as Irma and David Soyos, emergency spokesman Juan Carlos Bolanos said. Their bodies were found near the sinkhole, floating in a river of sewage. Their father, Domingo, was later found dead in the enormous fissure.
Authorities had apparently suspected something was wrong with the site before the sinkhole appeared.
“We knew, and the INSIVUMEH (the country’s seismology institute) had placed a seismic meter there,” said Alvaro Rodas, the director of social development for Guatemala City. “The city government had contracted a robotic camera system to go down there, but the disaster occurred first.”
Cristobal Colon, a spokesman for the municipal water authority, said the sewage main ruptured after becoming clogged. He said the city was aware of the blockage and the army had been considering a controlled explosion to clear the pipe, which carries both rainwater and sewage for much of the capital.
Source: Associated Press
