A ruptured sewer caused a 300′-deep pit to open in the middle of a crowded Guatemala City neighborhood, swallowing a dozen homes, killing an undetermined number of people, and causing the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people.
Officials blamed recent rains and an underground sewage flow from a ruptured main for the tragedy. 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 other sinkholes could open up.
(via JWZ)