A family where visiting Chichicazapan cave in Cuetzalan, Mexico, for a birthday celebration when they became trapped inside during heavy rain and flash flooding
A person has died and three others are missing after a family were trapped in a cave for two days due to flash floods from sudden heavy rain.
The Peña family, who comes from Chignautla in Puebla State, Mexico, were on a sightseeing tour as part of a birthday celebration which has ended in tragedy
Six family members and a guide were trapped inside the subterranean river with one man now known to have died. Three others are still missing after entering the Chichicazapan cave in Cuetzalan on Tuesday afternoon.
Intense rainfall caused the underground river to surge rapidly and the guide suggested sheltering inside the cave to avoid getting wet, but rising waters and strong currents swept the group deeper into the cave system, making escape impossible.
Three people – Araceli Antonio Peña, Agustín Julián (boyfriend of one of the daughters), and the guide – managed to fight the current and reach safety on the first day.
On Wednesday, search teams recovered the body of Gerardo Julián de los Santos, aged 31 and brother of Agustín, who had drowned.
The three people still missing are Ismael Peña, Araceli’s husband, and their daughters Karime Peña, 24, and Jazmín Lizbeth Peña, 21.
Araceli, 40, wife and mother of the missing, said: “We went in when it had only just started raining. The guide told us to go further inside so we wouldn’t get wet. We never thought the cave would flood.”
The guide, employed by the firm Destino de Aventura was hospitalised overnight before being discharged.
Ongoing search efforts involving eight specialist teams – including divers, rappellers, and speleologists – have been repeatedly suspended because of ongoing rain and safety risks to rescuers.
Cuetzalan, located in the humid Sierra Norte highlands, is notorious for frequent heavy rainfall that can quickly swell subterranean waterways.
Authorities have stressed that operations will resume only during safe weather windows. According to reports, the tourists received only basic equipment such as life jackets, helmets, and lamps, with no ropes or advanced safety gear.
The family travelled to celebrate their youngest daughter’s 21st birthday and to fulfil her wish to visit the caves.
