Friday, July 18, 2025

Abandoned mine tunnel blamed for sinkhole putting houses at risk

A large part of a Guerrero town is at risk of caving in due to the tunnels of an old mine.

The first red flag in Pinzán Morado, located in the municipality of Coyuca de Catalán, was a sinkhole that appeared on July 1. In the rainy month and half since then, it has grown to a diameter of 40 meters and a depth of 100.

Residents of of seven nearby homes have had to evacuate, while 30 more dwellings are at risk. Their occupants have started to move their belongings, fearing the worst.

Resident Cirilo Castro told the newspaper Milenio that the nearby Calentana mine operated for more than 25 years before it was shut down three years ago.

He explained that the sinkhole could well be the result of overexploitation by the gold and silver mine, which left tunnels about 30 meters below the surface.

State Civil Protection officials have cordoned off the area surrounding the sinkhole, and have ordered the evacuation of a preschool.

[wpgmza id=”52″]

“We need help because we’re indeed at risk; the kindergarten has been evacuated, but we don’t have anywhere to send the children instead . . . ” said municipal representative Filiberto García Maldonado, suggesting that the evacuation of a nearby secondary school could soon follow.

Last Friday, the municipality filed a complaint with the public prosecutor against the mining company, whose legal representatives have indicated that land could be purchased to relocate homeowners affected by the sinkhole.

But residents fear the same thing could happen anywhere else in the area due to the old tunnels and are asking the company to conduct a study to confirm the land is safe. They would also like to know whether the town’s remaining 100 homes are also at risk.

Source: Milenio (sp), El Sur (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
A man stands by an open suitcase in an airport revision area

Foreign national caught with over a million pesos of ketamine in Cancún airport

0
Officials confiscated 2 kilograms of ketamine, a controlled substance in Mexico.
two people walkin gby a for rent sign

Can rent control stop gentrification? Mexico City officials plan to find out

9
Political leaders in the nation's capital have reached into their anti-gentrification toolkit and come up with an approach that goes straight to the heart of the problem.
cell phone with Uber

Mexican authorities slam Uber’s price hike: ‘Unilateral and irresponsible’

2
The ride-hailing app insists that the rise is necessary after recent labor reforms gave its drivers full employee rights, including IMSS membership.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity