A state of emergency has been declared in the city of Buriticupo in Brazil, which is going underground

The city of Buriticupu, located at the northeastern tip of the Brazilian Amazon, is slowly being swallowed by the earth. In recent weeks, huge sinkholes several meters deep have forced municipal authorities to declare a state of emergency. This was reported by Reuters on February 21.

It is specified that about 1.2 thousand people out of a total population of 55 thousand are at risk of having their homes collapse, several buildings have already been destroyed.

"Over the past few months, the size (of the sinkholes - Ed.) has increased exponentially, coming much closer to residential premises," reads the emergency decree issued by the city government.

According to the agency, the sinkholes are the result of rains that are slowly eroding the soil, which is vulnerable due to its sandy nature, and a combination of poorly planned construction work and deforestation.

Public Works Minister and engineer Lucas Conceiçao of Buriticupu said the municipality clearly lacks the capacity to find solutions to the complex ground failure situation.

The farming town of Corcoran in California's San Joaquin Valley, USA, began to go underground on May 26, 2021. For 14 years, the city in some places has fallen by 3.5 meters. According to experts, the cause was land blowing, which occurs when a large amount of water escapes from the underground soil, causing the underlying sediments to subside.