Following heavy rains that hit Maceió at the beginning of the year, residents of the Pinheiro neighborhood entered a state of emergency as several cracks appeared in the area. Civil Defense authorities state that the neighborhood is at risk of collapse, and the main threat is that the asphalt could sink enough to create a sinkhole and destroy buildings, endangering the lives of over twenty thousand residents.
According to G1, three researchers from the Geological Survey of Brazil are in Maceió to evaluate what might be causing the neighborhood to sink. Hypotheses include: the formation of a doline, a geological phenomenon that occurs when part of the ground collapses to form a crater; the neighborhood's location in a tectonically active area; and rock salt mining in the region. Additionally, specialists from the Mineral Resources Research Company (CPRM), the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and experts from the State and Municipal Civil Defense are also conducting investigations to identify the issue affecting the subsoil since a tremor was registered in the neighborhood in March 2018, which had already caused cracks and sinking floors in some properties.
Abel Galindo Marques, a professor and civil engineer with a master's degree in geotechnics from AGM Geotécnica, conducted a study on the possible causes of the event. Among the hypotheses raised, he cites the reactivation of geological faults in Maceió—noting that the Pinheiro neighborhood lies within their perimeter—triggered by the high number of rock salt extraction wells, the large volume of water extracted from the subsoil, and the presence of a highly fractured rock layer directly above the rock salt.
In a presentation, the professor uses schematic profiles to demonstrate potential theories that could explain the cracks that have appeared.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the TNH1 portal, CPRM geologist Jorge Pimentel expressed concern regarding the complexity of the situation in Maceió, noting that out of the 1,638 municipalities the agency has surveyed in Brazil, nothing similar to what is currently happening in Pinheiro has ever been seen. Furthermore, Pimentel stated that a Monitoring Room will be established in partnership between CPRM and local civil defense agencies to identify any ground changes as quickly as possible and alert the population.
Simplesmente surreal não ter um abrigo pras famílias. Um canto pra colocar todo mundo. Um ginásio de colégio, um galpão, sei lá. Ninguém fala nada, ninguém faz nada. Só dizem que tem que ir embora. Nos mandam correr, mas cadê o suporte? Essa cidade não tem estrutura. É INCRÍVEL!! pic.twitter.com/Uia949NWRa
— Toni (@FalaTony) January 28, 2019
A report prepared by the Geological Survey of Brazil and delivered in December 2018 to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in Alagoas (MPF-AL) recommends training residents for emergency evacuation of the neighborhood and creating escape routes.
The first evacuation drill in the neighborhood will take place on February 16, following the neighborhood's instability features map prepared by the Geological Survey of Brazil and made available for public consultation. According to Civil Defense, if the ground sinks even further, the first people to be evacuated from the neighborhood will be those living in the highest-risk areas.
First will be those living in the red zones, which comprise the areas with the most significant evidence of instability, due to the high number of cracks, their wider openings and persistence, as well as the presence of sinkholes and several buildings already declared unsafe by civil defense due to extensive cracking. They will be followed by residents in the orange zones, characterized by cracks in walls and boundaries that are over one meter long and several millimeters wide.
See the full map with photos showing the condition of some houses and streets here.
Last Monday, the 28th, the Federal Government authorized the transfer of financial aid for humanitarian assistance to 413 families in the neighborhood who were advised to leave their properties due to the worsening of the cracks identified in the region. The release of funds was officialized through an ordinance by the Ministry of Regional Development (MDR). However, because the causes of the cracks remain unknown, many residents have begun moving out in a hurry without government assistance, and the vast majority remain at risk with nowhere to go.
Conversei com várias pessoas dizendo que não voltam mais mesmo que tudo se resolva. Estão vendendo os extintores dos prédios, bombas de água, mandando desligar tudo após evacuar. Água, luz, tudo. Só Deus sabe o que vai ser disso aqui. pic.twitter.com/8werMr2t6U
— Toni (@FalaTony) January 28, 2019
Tony Medeiros, a neighborhood resident, is organizing a crowdfunding campaign to try to escape this situation and states: "The fear of losing your life and the fear of losing your home is something that takes an emotional toll on anyone, and it hasn't been easy for anyone. It is still unknown what caused the tremor, and they continue conducting studies to find out. But that's where the problem lies: if they can't define the cause, they can't define and execute a solution."
This article was written by Victor Delaqua. The translation is powered by AI.
