In the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, the ruins of a 16th century colonial church have re-emerged from a reservoir due to the lack of rain. A severe drought has affected the Grijalba river, which feeds the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir, dropping the water level by 75 feet.

The church, known locally as “The Temple of Santiago/Quechula” was constructed in 1564 by a group of monks headed by Friar Bartolome de la Casas, who arrived in the region inhabited by the Zoque people in the mid-16th century.

It was abandonded after an outbreak of the plague between 1773 to 1776. In 1966 a dam was completed which created the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir that flooded the Church.

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