Shopping Basket

Behind-The-Books Blog

Is fact stranger than fiction?

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

I wasn’t sure I believed this image when I first saw it – it looked too much like a film poster or an advert for the latest episode of Dr Who (come back David Tennant, please…!), and if I read about it in a book you’d hear me ‘hmm-ing’ as I flicked the page thinking the author’s imagination had run away with them. But believe it or not, there’s been no clever photo-trickery here.

This scary looking hole opened up in the middle of Guatemala City thanks to a combination of tropical storm Agatha and a poor drainage system. Where’s Doctor Who when you need him? Measuring about 30 metres in diameter and over 60 metres deep, the huge sink hole swallowed a three-storey apartment block whole, but incredibly everyone from the building escaped unharmed.

The Red Cross have set up an appeal to help the city rebuild after the effects of the storm and if you’d like to make a donation, click here.

Louise Watson, Editor

Leave a Comment

  • Currently we are...

  • …Liking

    Lesley: This charming blog by a Penguin book collector, A Prenguin a Week.

  • …Reading

    Going Too Far, by Catherine Alliott. Susie: I rarely read 'girly' books but came across Alliott a few years ago. I've read 3 of her books thus far, and was delighted to spot this one for 30p in a charity shop. I've not opened it as yet but am hoping for another witty, grown-up, middle-class romcom, with lots of 4x4s and country houses!

  • …Tweeting