Astonishing photograph taken from above

A Man-Made Sinkhole in Guatemala City

We often think of sinkholes as terrifying natural phenomena. However, some are naturally occurring, while others are man-made. This particular sinkhole, unfortunately, was caused by human factors. It occurred in a residential area of Guatemala City in 2010 and swallowed an entire building. Investigations suggest that burst sewage and stormwater pipes were likely to blame.

This sinkhole was estimated to be 18 meters wide and 100 meters deep, and the heavy rains from Tropical Storm Agatha triggered it. The ground, primarily composed of volcanic pumice, is easily eroded, leading to the formation of such sinkholes. While not technically a sinkhole by definition, one has to admire the drone technology used to capture this photo.