MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities say a deep sinkhole has swallowed a car on a major highway south of the capital, prompting an operation to rescue an unknown number of people.
The Transportation Department says it is coordinating with other agencies on the rescue effort on the highway, which passes through the city of Cuernavaca.
Photos in local media show a crane and a yawning hole several yards (meters) wide in the middle of the road. The section of road was closed off Wednesday.
The Transportation Department said in a statement that the sinkhole was apparently caused by the erosion of a drain that runs more than 50 feet (15 meters) beneath the highway.
It said preliminary analysis indicates that heavy rains, trash blockage and deforestation in the area contributed to the erosion.