Mother, daughter lost after car plunges into huge sinkhole in Guatemala

By SONIA PÉREZ D., The Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The search for a mother and daughter whose car plunged into a huge sinkhole in Guatemala has changed to a recovery effort, three days after they disappeared.

The chief of volunteer firefighters conducting the operation said Tuesday that searchers are working gingerly by hand at the bottom of the pit but that “the possibility of finding survivors is nil.”

Mynor Suárez, engineer specialized in geology, said they had detected a variation in metals below the surface they believe to be the car. It remained unknown, however, whether the woman and child were still inside the car.

Felipe Mejía stood with other relatives about 50 yards from the edge of the sinkhole, hoping for word on the two missing women — his daughter-in-law Olga Emilia Choz, 38, and granddaughter Mishell Mejía Choz, 15.

Guatemalan authorities ordered businesses within 200 yards of the hole to close as dirt and asphalt continued to fall into the pit, sometimes sending vibrations through the surrounding surface.

Ángel Mario González, chief of the volunteer firefighters in charge of the operation, said earlier Tuesday that they were working manually with shovels at the bottom of the hole trying to avoid further collapse.

Mejía said his son Adolfo Mejia, who was riding with his wife and daughter, was released from the hospital Monday after having two fingers amputated that had been injured while trying to rescue his daughter.

Mejia said his son couldn’t bring himself to return to the scene. “He can’t. He says he feels really bad,” the father said.

“It’s already been three days. We don’t want them to stop. We want them alive or dead,” Mejia said. “We are not going to leave until they are found. My family is not complete.”

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