Authorities fear a ‘tragedy’ for residents and the environment due to the impending collapse of a salt mine in northeastern Brazil. There is an acute risk that the salt mine in Maceió will collapse.
The mayor of the state capital of Alagoas, João Henrique Caldas, said this on Friday to the American news channel CNN. According to him, this would cause ‘the greatest contemporary urban tragedy in the world’.
According to the Civil Protection Authority, the lives of people in Maceió are not in danger. When a state of emergency was declared on Wednesday due to the threat in the city, thousands of families from the area around the salt mine were moved to safety. The first resettlements had already started in 2019 when the risks of a collapse became known. The neighborhoods threatened by this, where around 55,000 people lived in more than 14,000 buildings, have now been evacuated.
Most of it is below sea level
Much of the salt mine is below sea level. A collapse of the facility would cause significant environmental damage. The Civil Protection Authority compared the situation to a full sink from which the drain plug is suddenly removed. A huge amount of salt would suddenly escape from the mine into the sea, damaging the ecosystem there.
Civil protection announced on Friday that the salt mine had sunk 11.4 centimeters in the past 24 hours. Since November 21, this has already been 1.43 meters.
Majority owner is known for scandal
The mine produces rock salt, which is used for the production of potassium hydroxide and PVC. It is one of 35 Braskem factories in Maceió. Braskem’s majority shareholder is Novonor, which was known as Odebrecht before a major bribery scandal.
In view of the impending collapse of the Maceió mine, Braskem assured on its website that the company would “take all possible measures to minimize the impact.” Accordingly, two scenarios are currently possible: a “gradual” lowering of the mine or an “abrupt” departure from the mine boundary.
In early 2019, the retention basin of an iron ore mine in the city of Brumadinho in southeastern Brazil burst, causing a toxic mudslide to flow over the city. At least 270 people were killed and the incident also caused an environmental disaster in the region. (sda/apa/afp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
