Sinkholes appear in Amazon as Brazilian city declares emergency

Buriticupu, in the Brazilian Amazon, has declared an emergency in the face of these sinkholes

1,200 people are at risk of losing their homes as sinkholes in the city of Buriticupu open (REUTERS)

A city in Brazil has declared a state of emergency after a number of huge sinkholes opened up in recent weeks.

Several buildings in the city of Buriticupu, in the north eastern tip of the Brazilian Amazon, have already been destroyed with 1,200 people at risk of losing their homes to the widening abyss.

The city’s government said of the sinkholes in an emergency decree: "In the space of the last few months, the dimensions have expanded exponentially, approaching substantially closer to the residences”.

Buriticupu’s latest sinkholes are an escalation of a problem that has been ongoing for 30 years, as rains have slowly eroded soils made vulnerable by their sandy nature. Issues such as poorly-planned building work and deforestation have also contributed to the issue.

Residents fear the problem will only get worse (REUTERS)

Geographer Marcelino Farias, professor at the Federal University of Maranhao, said the problem worsens during heavy periods of rain, such as the current one.

Antonia dos Anjos, a resident who has lived in Buriticupu for 22 years, told Reuters he fears more sinkholes will soon appear: “There's this danger right in front of us, and nobody knows where this hole has been opening up underneath.”

The city’s secretary of public works, Lucas Conceicao, an engineer, said the municipality does not have the capacity to find solutions for the complex sinkhole situation.

He said: "These problems range from the erosion processes to the removal of people who are in the risk area.”

On social media, the city affirmed the need for “unity, dialogue and planning” to face the challenges caused by the large soil erosions, known in Brazil as “voçoroca”, a word of indigenous origins that means “to tear the earth”.

“With this mobilization, we seek concrete measures to contain the advance of soil degradation, ensuring protection for the affected families and promoting the sustainable development of Buriticupu”, the post continued.

“We remain firm in this commitment, working together for a safer city that is prepared for the future.”