In the city of Buriticupu in the Amazon region of Brazil, massive sinkholes are threatening hundreds of homes. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the area to prevent homes from being dragged into the abyss. But how did these sinkholes form? Officials in a city in the Amazon region of Brazil have declared a state of emergency following massive sinkholes threatening hundreds of homes.
In Buriticupu, a city located in the state of Maranhao, many buildings have collapsed, and approximately 1,200 out of a population of 55,000 are at risk of losing their homes due to the expanding chasm.
In an emergency decree issued by the city administration earlier this month, it was stated that the sinkholes “have grown exponentially in recent months and are now significantly close to residences.” According to a report in The Guardian, the recent sinkhole occurrences signify an escalation of a problem that Buriticupu residents have been witnessing for the past 30 years.
In this issue, rains slowly erode vulnerable soils due to their sandy composition, while poorly planned construction activities and deforestation also contribute to the problem.
Large land erosions are known in Brazil as “voçoroca”; this indigenous word translates to “tearing the soil” and is used to refer to sinkholes. Marcelino Farias, a geographer and professor at Maranhao Federal University, mentions that the problem worsens during severe rainy periods like the current one.
Lucas Conceiçao, Secretary of Public Works and an engineer in Buriticupu, mentioned that the municipality lacks the capacity to find solutions to the complex sinkhole situation.
Conceiçao said, “These issues range from erosion processes to the evacuation of people living in high-risk areas.”