A sinkhole collapses homes in Zaruma, the city of Ecuador “pierced like a Gruyère cheese” by mining

A sinkhole caused the collapse of several houses in the central part of the city of Zaruma, in Ecuador, on the night of this Wednesday.

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The huge hole affected three streets, brought down two houses and affected a third. The electrical service also presented failures.

There have been no deaths or injuries, according to the director of the National Risk and Emergency Management Service, Christian Torres.

At least 300 people were evacuated due to the danger of collapse of more buildings, according to Ecuadorian media.

The Emergency Operations Committee coordinated temporary accommodation for the affected families.

In videos that circulate on social networks, it is observed how a huge sinkhole opened in front of several houses located in the heart of the city.

In another image you can see the collapse of a three-story building, to the desperate cries of the neighbors.

The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, wrote on his Twitter account: “Given what happened in Zaruma, I have arranged for the National Risk Management Service to coordinate with the Decentralized Autonomous Government (GAD) and the relevant institutions, to provide timely attention to the affected families. The team will be on site accompanying and offering immediate services. “

Given what happened in Zaruma, I have arranged to @Risgos_Ec, to coordinate with the GAD and relevant institutions, to provide timely care to affected families. The team will be on site accompanying and offering immediate services.

– Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) December 16, 2021

Residents began to notice the first cracks around 7:20 p.m. local time on Wednesday (12:20 GMT this Thursday). A few minutes later, a huge sinkhole formed in the ground and swept away the two houses.

“A few minutes before we heard a roar as if it were a dynamite explosion, we were immediately alerted that the two houses collapsed, my house is located about 20 meters from ground zero,” explained Mauricio Carrión, quoted by the Ecuadorian media El Comercio .

People came out of their houses. Some were trying to get their belongings out.

The collapse of the houses occurred at 19:40 (00:40 GMT).

At dawn this Thursday, a group of technicians and firefighters carried out an evaluation of structures on Colón, Ernesto Castro and 9 de Octubre streets.

Zaruma has been a heritage city of Ecuador since 1990, and since 1998 it has chosen to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1595, it is one of the oldest cities in the country, with more than 20,000 inhabitants.

#Zaruma | Gdor. @FranciscoVeraDo It articulates actions against the sinkhole that occurred on Wednesday night in the sector of 10 de Agosto and Colón streets. He visited with authorities from @PoliceEcuador, @FFAAECUADOR Y @Risgos_Ec sector evacuated for safety.#Government of the Encounter pic.twitter.com/VquB51DM9u

– Government of El Oro (@GoberElOro) December 16, 2021

The mayor of Zaruma, Jhansy López Jumbo, also said that this new emergency is due to mining problems.

Illegal minery

Neighbors had already been fearing a possible collapse for months.

The newspaper El Universo cited several residents last July when another collapse affected streets in the same city and caused vehicular traffic to be restricted.

The problems began in 2017, say those affected, when the slope began to settle slowly.

And is that under the urban area of ​​the city run several kilometers of underground galleries left by mining.

The sinkholes have occurred in previous years and affected other buildings, such as the La Inmaculada Fe y Alegría school. That led the government to decree a state of exception in 2017.

One official even said that the city looked like a “Gruyere cheese” due to the number of holes in the ground.

In Zaruma, mining has been practiced since before the appearance of the Spanish (who arrived, precisely, following the small gold particles in the sands of the rivers).

The pre-Columbian indigenous people exploited the metal for ornaments in their clothing, offerings and rituals.

Zaruma opts to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Photo: Getty Images)

In 1993 mining under the city was banned.

On August 12, the political chief of Zaruma, Blanca Mora, said that agents of the public force, as well as local officials, entered an old gallery to investigate the causes of a sinkhole and found that there were illegal armed miners inside.

“They entered a section, but they could not advance further because there were illegal miners inside, armed, and they threw stones at them. We are preparing a new entrance with all the guarantees,” he said at the time.

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