Sinking Basilica in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 23, 2014: The unlevel sinking foundation of the old Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is clearly visible as it stands next to Cachupin Chapel in Mexico City. Long-term extraction of groundwater has caused significant land subsidence and associated aquifer-system compaction, which has damaged colonial-era buildings, buckled highways, and disrupted water supply and waste-water drainage. Some buildings have been deemed unsafe and have been closed and many others have needed repairs to keep them intact.