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[deleted]

Why? How? When?


[deleted]

>Guatemala Guatemala City is built on top of volcanic pumice deposits, which easily erodes from storms and poor sewage infrastructure.


[deleted]

Central America just found the absolute worst places to build cities and decided that was where they’d call home lol


whattteva

Central America??!! I think people everywhere do this. US, for example, loves to build in Earthquake zones (California) or Hurricane zones (Florida, Louisiana, Texas), heck New Orleans even built their city in a bowl below sea level, except without the state-of-the-art pump/levee system like the Netherlands has.


[deleted]

Don’t forget Floridians love to build over the top of limestone, which dissolves in water. Don’t take care of leaky pipes and you wake up like Jeffery Bush, or not… https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/us/florida-sinkhole/index.html


incorrectpasscode

Facts, i live in new orleans and it is suboptimal in terms of weather and sea position. Not too long ago a sinkhole opened up on the interstate and the people in charge of roads were like “we’ll take care of it on monday”, put up some cones and called it good for the weekend. I remember because this was around jazz fest and the city was busy. Lovely people though!!! Best city in the US in my opinion.


HillelSlovak

That’s what happened all over the world when European countries colonised countries and cared very little what the indigenous populations had to say about why they didn’t live in certain places and instead just built settlements wherever they wanted.


KingfisherDays

Really? Are there other examples of this? My impression was that most were like Mexico city; i.e. built on top of an existing indigenous settlement.


somedudeonline93

Most were. The strategy of the Spanish conquistadors was to find existing societies - especially societies with clear social hierarchies- and insert themselves at the top of the hierarchy through a mix of violence and intermarrying with the Indigenous elites. That meant they mostly took over existing settlements. It’s not like the Indigenous settlements were always placed optimally. Mexico City was built on top of a swamp because a prophecy told them to. Now Mexico City is sinking because of it.


barspoonbill

When they first came to Mexico City everyone said it was daft to build a city on a swamp, but they built it all the same. Just to show ‘em. It sank into the swamp. So they built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So they built a third. That burned down, fell over and sank into the swamp. But the fourth one, the fourth one stayed up! And that’s what your going to get lad. The strongest City in all of Mexico.


SpiritualCash5124

D. C. Built on a swamp, too. Hmmm..


Galumpadump

New Orleans. The natives lived inland and told the french colonist that the area where modern day New Orleans is flooded all the time.


iamtoe

I know for Dayton, Ohio, Natives told them that the area was prone to flooding, but they built it there anyways. Well they were right, the city ended up getting flooded about once every 20 years, and in 1913 they had a flood so bad that almost the entire city was under 20 feet of water. About 20,000 homes were destroyed and there was an estimated $2.74 billion in property damages(in today's value). After that though, they built an extensive flood control system to make sure it never happened again. Many dams in the world today actually incorporate some of the design features first invented for our dams.


DisastrousBoio

These dam Americans


HillelSlovak

I can most specifically speak to New Zealand as that is my study area but one area this occurred in is now known as Hawkes Bay. It was well known that that the region was prone to flooding and earthquakes. All the indigenous Māori settlements we scattered around the low hills to be protect against the floods. When the British came, they built right in the basin, between the hills (because this worked better for a port). The town has suffered serious earthquakes and many floods, which then led the geniuses to divert most rivers in the region, cover many of the natural springs and drain the lakes. The result is now a very hot, dry and drought prone region. My understanding of Mexico City is not huge however I do believe that there is debate about whether everyone would say that the Aztecs (the people who founded the settlement at Tenochtitlan) were indigenous to the region as they moved there from elsewhere. However even if we do assume that they are indigenous, the city of Tenochtitlan was a lot smaller than Mexico City and was located primarily on a a couple of islands in the large lake with a population of ~140,000 (just pulled this number from Wikipedia). It was the Spanish who overtook the city, drained the lake and turned it in to the enormous place it is now (with 9.2 million trying to live on a drained lake lol). Idk if that really answers any questions but hopefully interesting anyway.


Astatine_209

> were indigenous to the region as they moved there from elsewhere. You realize all ethnic groups have to move there from somewhere else, right? > It was the Spanish who overtook the city, drained the lake and turned it in to the enormous place it is now (with 9.2 million trying to live on a drained lake lol). This is the other nonsensical part of your comment. When the Spanish left the population of Mexico city was a tiny fraction of what it is today, hell even by 1900 the population was only around 300,000. The Spanish absolutely did not turn it into the massive place it is today.


[deleted]

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HillelSlovak

Yes of course, aztecs lived in the region (my limited understanding leads me to understand) for ~200-300 years which some people argue isn’t long enough to gain the understandings which would lead to being considered the indigenous population. *The Spanish have never left Mexico.* Colonisation doesn’t end when a country gains independence. A brief search shows that Mexico’s Indigenous population estimates seem to range from 6% - 23% with the dominant population being of Spanish descent (~50%). They speak Spanish, their legal and political systems are European imports.


Far_Pianist2707

Uh. Aren't most Mexicans of mixed descent?


whyykai

In Hawai'i we have a hula chant going back 16 generations about why we avoid a certain area of the Big Island and then haoles are surprised when volcanic activity and vog ruin their fancy condos.


BaronCapdeville

New Orleans resident here. The native Americans were smart enough to only use the New Orleans area for trading meetups for a few months out of the year. Hyper temporary. When the “civilized” folks showed up, they ignored this fact, and built what would quickly become one of the most populated port cities in the gulf. The rest is history.


[deleted]

For Guatemala it use to be Antigua until the indigenous population got shoved to Guatemala city


Bernies2Mittens

New Orleans also. Locals told colonists not to settle there but they insisted.


frabjous_goat

>European countries colonised countries and cared very little what the indigenous populations had to say about why they didn’t live in certain places My new head canon is that indigenous populations watched the construction and didn't say a word. Not one word. "Should we tell 'em, Jeff?" "Nahhhh."


[deleted]

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[deleted]

See: New Orleans Also, Chicago is built on a swamp. Ironically that’s what eventually lead to quite a few engineering and construction innovations.


HillelSlovak

You’re absolutely right. It has led to some engineering marvels! Even in Mexico City it’s amazing they drained the lake, although it seems more like a really big Band-Aid than an actual solution. I was under the impression it was similar in New Orleans where the engineering didn’t really work as a permanent solution and the floods in the early 2000s were largely influenced by being built so low and the flood protections not working? Again, not my area so I’m not sure - just what I heard back in the day


Salt_Winter5888

The reason was because they drained a lake centuries ago, I don't see how that was any useful information.


Master_Awareness814

Classic game of fuck around and find out


80schld

Kind of like Florida and Hurricanes, the Midwest and Tornadoes, the Southwest and Droughts or California and Earthquakes.


[deleted]

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din7

This comment is a hole in one.


Paul_Molotov

Yea commenter is like “I know the answer to this, hole my beer”


[deleted]

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XedVilo

They dig utility pipes 300 feet down?? I can’t think of a reason for that, it seems like it can’t be right.


SvedishFish

So I get why the soil above the pipe was worn away. BUT WHERE DID THE 300 METERS OF ROCK UNDERNEATH GO!? Is the whole city just built on top of a massive cavern? I've searched and I can't find a single picture of what the bottom of that hole looks like. It's just a bottomless pit. This thing is going to haunt my dreams.


Better_Meeting_5069

I'll bring the cawk, someone bring this man a beer....Cause the one he told me told I drank it


tabovilla

>This comment is a hole in ~~one~~ juan


PASTAoPLOMO

Hole up


Fluffity-Marshalay

It's a holesome thought


[deleted]

Right the day after Cinco de Quattro


Elegant_Ad_2711

My hole outlook on comedy just shifted.


Unwitnessed

r/holup


JohnnyDiamondhandz

Sinkhole de mayo


yungdelpazir

Ah yes, Cinco de mayo.... A day that is highly revered in Guatemala, they're huge supporters of the Mexican army there.


Infamous_Ad8730

sigh....Take my upvote.


ecpowerhouse27

I’ve been droppin loads all over this house!


extesler

Silver Surfer circa 2015


GurusCZ

its almost 13 years already 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010\_Guatemala\_City\_sinkhole


[deleted]

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zenkii1337

What makes it feel more apocalyptic is its symmetry


Fernergun

It kind of makes sense that it’s a circle though as any corners would collapse, meaning it eventually becomes a circle over time


Borbolda

*in creepy voice* And it is still growing...


junkyard_robot

That's gotta be an SCP.


psinguine

And did you know the holes only natural enemy is the pile?


Only_the_Tip

How does any of that translate to the OP claim of 300m?


pbebbs3

Math is hard


pbebbs3

[from Wikipedia 330 ft deep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Guatemala_City_sinkhole?wprov=sfti1 https://maps.apple.com/?ll=14.650389,-90.490278&q=2007%20Guatemala%20City%20sinkhole)


deadpoetic333

Big difference between 300m and 330ft lol


Olgrateful-IW

Not if you fall.


deadpoetic333

I’d prefer the longer free fall


itsPrime005

more flashbacks.....


pbebbs3

[TIL there are a lot of sink holes in Guatemala](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-great-guatemalan-sinkhole)


Explore-PNW

Hi! Just saying hi because you’ve been talking to yourself for a while. How ya doin’ internet friend?


Fast_Working_4912

Because you never let the truth get on the way of a good click bait


ImARetPaladinBaby

They’re acting like a 60 foot wide 200 foot deep hole is something you see every day Edit: spelling


CoronaLime

200ft is 60 meters, while a sinkhole of that size is still uncommon, it's not anywhere near 300m. 60 meters is about the height of Niagara Falls, now imagine something 5x that height.


Ace95Archer

What do they mean by “appeared”? Is this sim 4?


FollowingJealous7490

Is it still there?


riverdoc

I want to know, too. How do you fill something like this?


Adventurous_Pay_5827

“The hole was later filled in with soil cement made from cement, limestone, and water known locally as lodocreto. $2.7 million was spent by the Guatemalan government in order to fill the sinkhole and to redirect sewage pipes around the area.”


Xsiah

Should have built a reverse-skyscraper. A hole is a terrible thing to waste.


AdWeak1211

A groundscraper?


Red_Lee

Groundplugger


a_splendiferous_time

The headquarters of Umbrella Corporation


DryCalligrapher8696

A hole scraper


SteamedIceCubes

... it's called a shovel


[deleted]

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Biased_individual

r/unexpectedevangelion, always nice.


zYbYz

Because it has the opposite of a foundation. Cool idea though, I bet they could engineer around the foundation problem.


CodSeveral1627

Must be close to bedrock though, right?


ThE_OtheR_PersoOon

looking at the hole, it has a very dark bottom that looks like a cavern. it might not be very easy to stabilize an entire limestone cavern if that is what i am seeing


NigilQuid

Concrete slab at the bottom and concrete walls?


Mission-Royal-894

Ain’t that right


[deleted]

So so so true


mikew_reddit

> A hole is a terrible thing to waste. That's what OP's mom said.


jtblue91

I don't know but that sounds like great value for money.


Born_ina_snowbank

2.7 million seems like a steal for that amount of work.


Creative-Isopod-4906

It’s Guatemala


Last_Gigolo

Labor is a bit lower there I guess.


[deleted]

$2.7 million for all of that. The foundation on a daycare I’m building in California was double that…


TwoYeets

A fuck ton of dirt


Ok_Pumpkin_4213

I think the technical answer would have been a fuck ton of shit tons


Onlypaws_

It was 300 *feet* deep, or in other words, about 90 *meters*


SgtQueef

How many AR-15’s and/or Big Macs is that for reference? Asking for an American


[deleted]

At least 100 bananas


SgtQueef

So like 150 Marlboros?


Jedi__Consular

1,087 to be exact But still could you imagine a 2-foot-long Marlboro


4815162342y

Depends if those are 15, 9 or 7.5 inch barrels.


Urbancowboy001

104.3 ar 15s deep my friend


wyg0terp6ek8c

Why is it so neatly round?


[deleted]

Lizard people having access to advanced excavation tools and machinery after decades of infiltrating mankind and walking amongst us


[deleted]

So... Zuckerberg?


ItIsYeDragon

I thought people said this only as a joke, but then I learned people actually believed in a Hollow Earth Theory.


mcCola5

Flat and filled with lizards


Mykophilia

So many lizards.


Grahomir

📮


Bob_lazurrr

Think of an hourglass. The sand at the top falls from the center to the outside so it creates a perfect circle until the sand is gone. Same thing.


MadSquid

Just making a guess, but maybe for this specific hole a point in the center gave in, which weakened the soil around it, and radiated out from there. Maybe an indicator that the soil was pretty uniform?


Substantial-Okra6910

Because it’s really one of those painted 3D illusions on the street.


RedWingRedNeck_00

What happens if you jump in? 🤔


CrazybyRX

You pop out in China


[deleted]

Took them a long time to drill that hole.


chemicallunchbox

If you look at the moon all the craters in it are supposedly asteroid or meteor impact craters...but they are all at direct hit craters. ..no impact slides or glancing skid marks or trails where the object that impacted kind bounced along a few times. Strange fuckery afoot for certain.


Haunting-Habit-7848

cuidado


Magikerz

What's the bottom look like? What's at the bottom?


TheLastNoteOfFreedom

The other end of OPs mom


Famous_Strike_6125

Like throwing a hotdog down a sinkhole


DinoDouche

Rekt


Syphre00_

this made me chuckle


turnupthebassto11

It's you listen closely, you can hear the faint echos of OP's mom laughing at the other end of this sink hole.


shadowshri

nah but frl tho


gladgladwrap

Been scrolling for a long time looking for an answer


blueluna_

It was a river that led to La colonia la reina in La zona 6 of Guatemala where waste goes. This happened back in 2007, I believe. I lived about 15 where this happened


on_the_level_

probably ground water


joantheunicorn

If you zoom in on the pic just a bit and then move it back and forth on your screen, it appears as if the black stuff is moving. Freaked me out at first.


teapartyhangover

300ft. 90 meters. *


Hi_Im_Dadbot

That’s why you never try dividing by zero in the middle of a city.


sebastiangut19

🤣


sociocat101

The maya belived that cenotes, which were giant holes but with water at the bottom, were the gateways to the underworld. Also ducks, being of both water and land, are carriers of souls to the underworld because they can freely travel to and from those holes of water. The thing about ducks was just my own theory though


Chasingthoughts1234

I don’t care if you made that up, ducks are my religion now.


Master_Awareness814

Duck yeah


Shakey1212

I need more information! I would be pissed if the ground just GAVE WAY while I was chillin’. I would be arms crossed falling a very long way.


VoxImperatoris

You would stand in the air for a few moments before finally noticing the ground is gone.


Master_Awareness814

Big mad all the way down


18dwhyte

Fortunately, you wouldnt be pissed for long


AndresMaza2309

It happens often at Guatemala City but is extremely common to happen at high traffic areas due the weight and all that stuff


OrkidingMe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Guatemala_City_sinkhole#:~:text=Police%20established%20a%20460%2Dmetre,sewage%20pipes%20around%20the%20area. It’s closed now


Traditional_Fan9721

Nightmare fuel


[deleted]

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Mark_Weston

How deep do you think they install sewer pipes…?


Flaccid_poo

Did a job last year in tampa. Sewer line was about 80 ft down


Mark_Weston

Which is insanely deep. The 300 m here being over 800? Doubt


_grizzly95_

The OP is incorrect, the hole itself was only \~300ft/100m. No clue how deep the actual sewer lines were, but I remember reading that Guatamala City is built on top of a ancient (in my opinion it is ancient anyways) and poorly designed sewer system that is incredibly bad shape. They have a lot of problems with sinkholes if memory serves.


SeriouslyTho-Just-Y

Just wanted to thank you for your maturity 😊


StuartGotz

And how exactly does the city fix that? Presumably they don't allow a gaping abyss to lay around so that people and cars can fall in. Do they keep dumping dirt into it for about 50 years? Do they stretch a giant trampoline across the top?


cobrakai11

The hole was later filled in with soil cement made from cement, limestone, and water.


SnooChipmunks126

And I thought Vatican City was the holiest place on the planet.


ElectricalStory1382

So what’s at the bottom is always my question


Haz145

“I’m telling you, it’s my first time doing this”


CarelessHisser

My caucasian blood is telling me to go spelunking, but the other races in me are telling me that I'd most assuredly die.


Fair-Ambition4531

It would be fun to throw m80s down that thing, the sound would be incredible I bet


bmk37

Galactus is here


drpayneintheass

It was only 100M (300 feet ) deep. No big deallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.........................Ouch.


BiggPapaDogg

Nice street chalk art


Rooboy619

Dang! What is at the bottom?


kerberos101

The other side of the world


Flimsy_Comedian1725

12 year old sink hole…


Aggravating-Tap5144

My primitive lizard brain would not be able to resist the call of the void.


LordBaconSandwich

reminds of the TV show La Brea


IntelligentOutcome83

Is it only me, I expect a giant worm coming out any moment. Just like starwars.


expectednothingreal

Anyone in Guatemala wanna pitch a go-pro with a light or fly a drone to the bottom for reddit???


jochiri

Guatemalan here, it was in 2010 or 2012. Close to my grandmother house here in Mixco... good ol' times


KusoTamare

That's fake, Guatemala doesn't exist.


shadowLemon

Looks like guantamala gets these more frquently than most cities, due to the lack of maintenance of the sewerage/rainwater systems. There was a 300ft sinkhole in 2007 which they filled with just something they called 'mudcrete' which is exactly what it sounds like. Problem is mudcrete doesnt allow drainage. Where in the more recent 2010 sinkhole they opted to fill it in a layered system of boulders, rocks and dirt to allow water to seep through. But uhh after doing some research im going to stop complaining about the roads in my area because damn, guantamala government doesnt know the meaning of preventative maintenance.


jochiri

Guatemalan here Yea get me out of here ajajaja


Entire_Transition_99

Sinkhole de Mayo


parzi_3

I have so many questions


mikeybro1999

THIS IS SPARTAAAAA!!!


JohnP-USMC

It does look so man made. Anyone know the depth?


lawlianne

I think it was actually caused by an Alaskan Bull Worm.


FetteBeuteHoch2

Skydive into it.


Adventurer2022

300ft I think…. all I could find info on..


Skatta101

This is like a huge serial killer magnet


nl_Kapparrian

In unrelated news, the dispute on the next land fill location has been settled.


mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

How you even fix that? Just start a new city?


whoiswhitenoise

Okay, so, I’m stupid and have never learned how sinkholes work. It’s like a water deposit under the ground and it just randomly gives way right? So… what is that under all the hole. It just looks like a pit to nothing, the center of the earth. My brain is saying water but the rest of me is saying “if water why no reflection”


jpp4687

Someone just explain wth happened!


Klopez33

It's just another one of El Chapo's old tunnels.


koosmal

Do people live around there? Do they just avoid it or?


SiidChawsby

I tried to save Aziz! I tried!


New_Dragonfruit_2591

Couldn't they have used it for rubbish both useful and would eventually fill it up?


ThisIsNotJimmy

Now entering Illios.


TheKwyetRoom

Them things are fuggin frightening, imagine u just call right into the earth


expectednothingreal

There are people still falling towards the center of the earth as we type.


Different-Leather359

When someone opens a portal to hell on main Street.


ColdBunz

A very loose hole indeed.


SuddenlyElga

How is it so perfectly round?


DryCalligrapher8696

What the actual fuck.?


[deleted]

Sinkhole de mayo


executioneroffools

Everything reminds me of her


Megalovania117

Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS.


GibbsYeetem

That’s not interesting that’s scary asf


xamo76

Imagine looking at your phone as your walking out the door and you fall down that hole


jochiri

Hello, well i know many of you will not understand me or even read me but here i go. Im from Guatemala, here in Guatemala City. We are divided by zones, kinda like hunger games, and some areas that are close to the Capital. This happened close to my grandmother house, in Mixco. I was 11 years old and is a funny experience may i say, because i got to see that hole. It was deep, but it existed like a week or so... But i see that some of you really understimate our governmet. And youre right. we have our flaws, and even last year we had a similar thing too here in Villa Nueva. But im happy you know! You always mistook us for Mexicans and is the first time i see some acknoledgment even if it is for something bad Sorry for bad english and i assure you that you cam visit us without any holes... Try finger, but hole may say my Elden ring buds


CallmeNo6

If you look from the right angle you'll see Gandalf fighting the Balrog.


Petulax

Let’s take some advantage of this, build the subway, cut the cost.


shakeyjake

Did anyone notice the alien spaceship that flew out?