'Something sinister is happening', says resident about rumblings underground in Barretos, SP

For about two weeks now, residents like businessman Richard Janko have been living in a constant climate of fear and uncertainty in the face of booms and ground tremors recorded during the early hours of the morning in the Mais Parque neighborhood, in Barretos (SP).

"In my house, in fact, something sinister is happening. The ground shakes, the window shakes, my window is made of blindex. It looked like a truck had hit a pole", reports the resident about the tremors that have been keeping the neighborhood awake.

Despite the atmosphere of apprehension due to the recurring noises, the City Hall and Civil Defense rule out any disaster scenario and asked for calm while awaiting analyzes from the Brazilian Geological Survey (SGB).

Authorities work with engineering teams and the Autonomous Water and Sewage Service (SAAE) to identify the causes.

Among the suspicions are a pressure shock in the water distribution networks, the accommodation of layers of earth as it is a recent and elevated area and the irregular opening of artesian wells.

Although state seismological monitoring has not recorded earthquakes in the municipality, the uncertainty about the origin of the underground noises keeps neighbors on alert.

Trader Richard Janko reports living with daily underground rumbles in Barretos (SP).

'An explosion beneath the earth'

Richard reports that he noticed the tremors getting worse over the last five days, hearing the rumbles repeatedly after 1am.

According to the trader, the muffled noises make the structure of the property shake to the point of waking up the family in the middle of the night.

The trader says that, at first, he tried to view the noises as an isolated incident, but the daily repetition raised the alarm. "The first time I thought something must have fallen, but then it got serious."

For him, the lack of answers increases the feeling of vulnerability of those who live there. He highlights the need for a response to restore tranquility to the neighborhood.

"It feels like something is exploding underground. It feels like there's an explosion underneath, like a tunnel is forming. It's scary, it's very scary."

Mystery in Barretos

The first reports of strange noises and ground vibrations in the community began to intensify two weeks ago, occurring between midnight and 4am.

The repetition of the episodes led to meetings between the neighborhood and Civil Defense representatives to align inspection and support actions for residents.

With the support of SAAE and geologists, the city hall sent a letter to the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB) by the National Council of Municipalities to send experts to carry out a field survey in the neighborhood.

The administration reinforces that the Civil Defense telephone number 199 remains available 24 hours a day to register new incidents or queries from the population.