Buriticupu (Brazil) - It could happen at any time. Huge sinkholes are threatening the small Brazilian town of Buriticupu, have destroyed houses and have already claimed lives. Large parts of the town of 55,000 inhabitants are in danger of sinking.

For 30 years, the area around Buriticupu in the Brazilian Amazon has been repeatedly plagued by sinkholes.

Now the authorities have declared a state of emergency due to the sudden appearance of sinkholes, reports the Reuters news agency. The sinkhole activity has increased massively in recent weeks and is now also threatening residential areas.

Up to 1,200 residents will probably have to leave their homes, writes the portal g1. Some will probably have to find long-term accommodation in emergency shelters. Many people still don't know where to go.

The danger should not be underestimated. The fate of Márcio Costa Araújo gained sad notoriety. On the verge of a flood, the young man wanted to rush to his mother's house to help. Then he and his bike were swallowed up by the earth. Márcio was buried alive.

More than 70 houses have already been swallowed up and at least seven people have died so far.

A total of 26 sinkholes have opened up in the past 30 years, seven of them in the city. Some of the holes are up to 70 meters deep and 500 meters long, according to the report.

The probable cause of the sinkholes is thought to be natural and construction sins of the past. The area around the city on the edge of the Amazon region was extensively deforested and rain eroded the sandy soil. Improperly executed construction work and ill-conceived spatial planning exacerbated the problem.

It is completely unclear how the problem can be solved. The authorities now want to stabilize at least some of the holes with retaining walls. But it seems to be only a matter of time before another crack opens up.