A eight-meter-deep sinkhole opened up Monday, swallowing a chunk of a Mérida family’s backyard.
The sinkhole revealed a cave system below, but it is still not known how large it is or if other parts of the property are also in danger of caving in.
Mérida’s civil protection office said that it is likely that some structures in the area would need to be demolished.
No injuries were reported, but city officials were brought in to evaluate the situation.
“We will have to conduct a survey of the area to know how to proceed. But in most situations like this concrete and large stones are introduced into the cavity,” said Civil Protection Coordinator Christian Chan.
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The home is located in the Bojórquez neighborhood to the west of Mérida’s downtown.
The family has decided to remain in the home for the time being but acknowledges that they will likely have to evacuate before long.
Traffic on streets around the property has been rerouted as an additional precaution.
The appearance of such sinkholes is not unheard of in Mérida, as the entire Yucatán Peninsula sits atop a limestone mantle which is often described as resembling Swiss cheese.
The region’s particular geology is believed to be the result of a meteor impact that hit the earth roughly 65 million years ago.
