The whole row of houses "the first row hanging on the cliff" is one step away from falling into the valley. Residents refuse to move for one reason.

When encountering natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes, in order to prevent possible flash floods or collapses, the government will evacuate residents in dangerous areas such as hillside areas in advance. However, the houses in a residential area in Bolivia are at risk of falling off a cliff, and the foundations may collapse at any time, but the residents are unwilling to move...

Image source: Reuters

According to a report by the media "BBC", in the mountain town of El Alto, Bolivia's second largest city, there is a whole row of low houses with colorful roofs standing on the top of the mountain. The scenery is quite cute, but if you look closely, you will find that the entire row The house almost hangs on the edge of the cliff. Just take a few steps out of the backyard and you will fall into a 60-meter-deep valley.

It is understood that heavy rains and global warming caused by climate change have further accelerated the erosion of the foundation, causing the entire residential area to appear hanging on the edge of a cliff. Because the houses are in danger, local officials hope that the residents will move out as soon as possible. Strangely Unfortunately, these residents refused to move, so the entire row of low-rise houses was nicknamed "suicide homes" by locals.

Image source: Bombo Radyo Tuguegarao

It turns out that these low houses are inhabited by Andean shamans "yatiris", who firmly believe that the worshiped mother of the earth "Pachamama" can keep them safe, and they also believe that as long as the sacrificial ceremony is held And by taking good care of the soil quality and diverting rainwater to other places, the foundation can be stabilized. But it is too dangerous. The local government bluntly stated that if residents are unwilling to evacuate, they will not rule out using force to evict them.

Image source: BBC

Heavy rains are making the shacks perched on the edge of a cliff in Bolivia’s El Alto more unstable. But despite warnings, some say they won’t leave the buildings known locally as ‘suicide homes’ https://t.co/BUtImM2txv pic.twitter.com/iy8h5FpadY

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 12, 2024