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Guatemala Neighborhood A
Calamity
The Guatemalan government
decreed a state of disaster in
the capital s San Antonio
neighborhood, where probable
saturation of the drainage
system 20 days ago caused the
land to sink and a huge hole to
swallow three people and several
houses.
The hole, 165 feet in diameter
and nearly 500 feet deep, has
grown and the cracks surrounding
it are believed to be a bad sign
so CONRED (National Coordinator
for Disaster Reduction) will
make nine test drillings in the
soil in the neighborhood.
The state of disaster will allow
greater flexibility in the
adjudication of resources to
make a soil test and avoid the
disaster spreading to other
areas, as well as transferring
people from high-risk areas.
Study by the National
Seismology, Volcanology,
Meteorology and Hydrology
Institute dismissed that the
sinking was caused by a
geological fault and confirmed
it was due to the saturation of
the drainage system, and the
municipal government has been
urged to speed work before the
rainy season.
The Finance Ministry should
approve the assignment of one
million dollars and the
government should make transfers
of several funds to CONRED.
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