The family home has been almost completely swallowed
The Puebla sinkhole that emerged late last month has grown to swallow most of the home that initially stood a few dozen meters from its perimeter.
Only one bedroom and part of the outer wall of the the Sánchez Xalamiahua family home remain in tact after most of it collapsed on Friday night. The property was initially 50 meters away from the 10-meter sinkhole that appeared on May 29 in Santa María Zacatepec, 20 kilometers northwest of Puebla city.
The giant pit has gradually expanded to measure 126 meters at its widest point and is 56 meters deep, most of which is filled with water.
Family member Heriberto Sánchez, originally from Veracruz, told reporters that the risk to the property made their situation precarious. “We have nothing. We’re not from here. We have no relatives. We’re alone,” he said.
Puebla Governor Miguel Barbosa has announced that the local council will donate a piece of land to the family where the state government will build them a new home.
Another state intervention saw two dogs rescued on Thursday after they had become trapped inside the pit. Spay and Spike had spent more than 72 hours stuck inside the hole.
Meanwhile, three local residents have created a cake depicting the sinkhole. The “Memory of the Sinkhole” confection has two dog figurines on top of an ice cream filling at its center. It was created by Citlali Moreno and her father César at the Don Lucho bakery, with help from local ice cream man Ángel Cortez.
A cumbia song by Sin Razzon about the sinkhole has also gained traction: it received 1.2 million views in four days. However, songwriter Armando Martínez Valdez received complaints that the song’s premise was insensitive to the Sánchez Xalamiahua family.
