Authorities in a Brazilian Amazon city have declared a state of emergency following the appearance of massive sinkholes that threaten hundreds of homes.

In Buriticupu, Maranhao state, several buildings have already been destroyed, and approximately 1,200 out of the city’s 55,000 residents face the risk of losing their homes to the expanding sinkholes.

An emergency decree issued earlier this month by the city government stated, "In the space of the last few months, the dimensions have expanded exponentially, approaching substantially closer to the residences."

The sinkholes represent an escalation of an issue that residents of Buriticupu have observed for the last 30 years, with rains gradually eroding the soil, which is made more vulnerable by its sandy composition, coupled with poorly executed construction and deforestation.

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The large soil erosions are referred to in Brazil as “vocoroca", a term of Indigenous origin that translates to “tear the earth” and is equivalent to sinkholes.

According to Marcelino Farias, a geographer and professor at the Federal University of Maranhao, the problem worsens during heavy rainfall, such as the current season.

Antonia dos Anjos, a 65-year-old resident who has lived in Buriticupu for 22 years, expressed concern over more sinkholes appearing. “There’s this danger right in front of us, and nobody knows where this hole has been opening up underneath,” she said.

Lucas Conceicao, the Buriticupu secretary of public works and an engineer, admitted that the municipality lacks the resources to address the complex sinkhole issue. “These problems range from the erosion processes to the removal of people who are in the risk area,” he stated.

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