Thousands of Mexicans were astonished when they woke up to discover their local river had vanished overnight. The Atoyac River, the sole source of water for 10,000 in the state of Veracruz, is thought to have disappeared into a crevasse following an earthquake tremor. It is unclear how much of the river, which crosses eight municipalities in the mountainous area of central Mexico, was affected by the suspected sinkhole. The river, which flows through eight municipalities in a mountainous area of central Mexico, is thought to have vanished into a crevasse.

Residents of San Fermin, where the crack opened up, claimed to have heard a loud noise and feeling the whole earth trembling beneath them during the night. The crack starts around 1.8 miles from the source of the river which supplies water to thousands of families, as well as the sugar plantations which provide most locals’ income. The Atoyac also feeds into the larger Cotaxtla River which authorities report is also much lower than usual due to the sinkhole.

Did You Know?

• Mexico introduced chocolate, corn, and chilies to the world.
• The National University of Mexico was founded in 1551 by Charles V of Spain and is the oldest university in North America.
• Mexico is the 14th largest country in the world by total area.
• Mexico City has the highest elevation and is oldest city in North America. It is also one of the largest cities in the world.
• Actor Anthony Quinn was the first Mexican to win an Academy Award for his role in the 1952 movies Viva Zapata.