A state of emergency has been declared in the Brazilian Amazon after massive sinkholes opened up, threatening thousands of homes.

Several buildings in the city of Buriticupu, in Maranhão state, have already been destroyed, with around 1,200 people at risk of losing their homes to the widening abyss.

“In the space of the last few months, the dimensions have expanded exponentially, approaching substantially closer to the residences,” said an emergency decree issued by the city government earlier this month about the sinkholes.

Pictures from Buriticupu show how the sinkholes have divided tree-lined forests near a row of houses.