Mexico welcomed the New Year in brilliant fashion. Just before midnight the Popocatepetl Volcano in Tlalancaleca, Mexico erupted and sent glowing fragments high into the sky and they settled around the cone.
Heavy rain caused a part of a pyramid built more than 1,000 years ago to collapse in late July, according to Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.
Located in the state of Michoacan in southern Mexico, the pyramid was part of a seat of power in a site known as Ihuatzio, the institute said.
This summer, high temperatures and a drought created conditions that led to the collapse, as they caused cracks to form in the pyramid. When the rain fell, water flowed into the cracks and compromised the pyramid’s structural integrity.
Image of the collapsed section.
(Ramiro Aguayo / INAH / FOX Weather)
On the night of July 29, the central part of the pyramid’s base on the south-facing side crumbled, according to the institute. A team of archaeologists confirmed the extent of the damage the following day.
The institute noted how they are continuing to assess the damage, while also working to thoroughly repair the structure.
“Maintenance is an essential task in this type of building, so the INAH will continue to carry out this task, in favor of the cultural heritage of Mexicans,” it said.