On Monday, a 65-year-old woman in Guatemala City was shocked by a loud boom, which she assumed was the explosion of a neighbor's gas canister. She was even more surprised to find that it was a 40 feet deep, 32 inch wide sinkhole that had formed beneath her bed.

It's the kind of stuff you find in scary movies, but never think could actually happen in your own home. As a kid, you're told don't look under the bed, but you'd never expect to find a giant chasm in the earth.

Sinkholes are actually more common than you may think, particularly in Guatemala City. The area is prone to these gaping holes because it is built on volcanic deposits and has a heavy annual rainfall. The people of Guatemala City are increasingly unable to trust what's beneath their feet.

A giant sinkhole that formed nearby in 2007 was 150m deep and swallowed several homes and a truck, killing three people. Local residents were forced to evacuate for days.

A 2010 sinkhole also in the same area measuring 20m wide and about 30m deep swallowed a three-story building and a nearby house.

Sinkholes can form gradually, but are often sudden and unexpected.

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A sinkhole is seen developing inside a property that houses ten families in Guatemala City June 18, 2010. The hole, which is currently two meters wide and four meters deep, is caused by a failing drainage system that has produced two other, much bigger sinkholes. REUTERS
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A sinkhole is seen developing inside a property that houses ten families in Guatemala City June 18, 2010. The hole, which is currently two meters wide and four meters deep, is caused by a failing drainage system that has produced two other, much bigger sinkholes. REUTERS
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A giant sinkhole caused by the rains of Tropical Storm Agatha is seen in Guatemala City June 2, 2010. Collapsed roads and highway bridges complicated rescue efforts in Guatemala after Agatha drenched Central America, burying homes under mud and killing at least 180 people. REUTERS
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A giant sinkhole caused by the rains of Tropical Storm Agatha is seen in Guatemala City May 31, 2010. More than 94,000 people were evacuated as the storm buried homes under mud, swept away a highway bridge near Guatemala City and opened up sinkholes in the capital. REUTERS
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A giant sinkhole that swallowed several homes is seen in Guatemala City February 23, 2007. Three people were confirmed missing, officials said. REUTERS
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A giant sinkhole that swallowed several homes is seen in Guatemala City February 23, 2007. Three people were confirmed missing, officials said. REUTERS