Work suspended in Izamal cenote excavation due to chemical residues found

Izamal – Due to the presence of chemical residues that endangered the life and health of divers, excavation work in the recently found cenote located under the convent of San Antonio de Padua in this municipality in the center of the state has been halted for a few days, according to the INAH Regional Center of Yucatan.

The suspension of the work is due to the fact that during the immersions carried out by divers of the Subdirection of Underwater Archaeology of the Yucatan Peninsula, the presence of possible chemicals was detected in the interior of the cenote, which cannot be aspirated by divers.

INAH indicated that work has been temporarily halted until the presence of these chemicals, which are common products in closed spaces and could pose a risk to professionals, dissipates.

According to the regulations, the site must be left without movement for 4 or 5 days to ensure the safety of divers before resuming immersions, which are expected to resume next week.

The work in the cenote began on April 19, and to carry out the investigations, the experts and researchers descended to the depths of the convent through a well located at the southern end of the Franciscan precinct, at the intersection of 28th and 31st Streets.

In addition to the immersions, excavations were carried out at the east end of the religious temple, which implied the temporary closure of road traffic on 28th Street.

In the explorations, an ancient water supply system was discovered that was used by the ancient Maya and continued to function even after the arrival of the colony to Izamal.

Centro INAH Yucatán is committed to guaranteeing the safety and preservation of the archaeological heritage and will continue to monitor the situation in the cenote to resume work once conditions are safe for divers and researchers.

TYT Newsroom