Extreme rain causes landslides and flooding in a mountainous region near Rio de Janeiro. More than 100 people die.
Update from Thursday, February 17th, 2022, 9.30 a.m .: After landslides and floods as a result of heavy rain, the number of deaths in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro has risen again. At least 104 people died, as reported by the Brazilian news portal G1 on Wednesday evening. Eight children were also among the victims. The Agência Brasil news agency quoted the mayor of Petrópolis, Rubens Bomtempo, as saying that the number of dead could still rise.
The number of buried people was not initially known, the fire brigade and residents searched for them under the rubble and mud. A total of 24 people were rescued alive. At least 80 houses were hit by a mudslide, more than 180 residents of risk areas were housed in schools, according to civil protection, and 372 people became homeless.
Severe storms in Brazil: “The worst rain in Petrópolis since 1932”
According to the meteorology broadcaster Climatempo, on Tuesday it had rained more in six hours than had been expected for the entire month of February. “It was the worst rain in Petrópolis since 1932,” Governor Cláudio Castro said, according to the statement. Slopes slid, cars were swept away by the water masses, roads were blocked. “It’s almost a war situation,” Castro said.
Hundreds of firefighters and police officers were involved in the rescue and clean-up work. “Our task now is to get life in the city going again,” said Governor Castro. “We have mobilized teams and machines and will do whatever is necessary to rebuild the city and ease the pain of the victims’ families.” Both government and private fundraisers have begun. Water and hygiene items were needed the most.
Brazil: Disaster near Rio de Janeiro claims at least 78 lives
+++ 19:20: After the devastating landslides and floods in Brazil, the authorities have announced new details. The city of Petrópolis, north of Rio de Janeiro, was hit the hardest, as reported by afp. According to the local authorities, helpers were able to save at least 21 people alive.
At least 78 people died in the accident. Previously there was talk of only 55 dead. The authorities in Brazil expect that the number of victims will continue to rise. At least 300 people were accommodated in emergency shelters.
Brazil: Landslide near Rio de Janeiro kills at least 55 people
Update from Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, 7:20 p.m .: In Brazil, at least 55 people died in landslides and floods after heavy rains. The picturesque town of Petrópolis north of Rio de Janeiro was hit the hardest, the authorities said on Wednesday. 21 people could be rescued alive after rescue measures. However, the authorities fear more deaths. 300 people found shelter in emergency shelters.
Pictures on the Internet showed destroyed houses, cars swept away by the floods and flooded shops. Special teams with boats and all-terrain vehicles searched for possible other victims. Rescuers shoveled paths through the remains of collapsed houses, many of which had stood in the mountain slums. 400 soldiers were dispatched to support the search and rescue teams. Aid organizations called for donations.
Brazil: Landslide near Rio de Janeiro kills 34 people
First report from Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, 9:34 a.m .: Rio de Janeiro – Heavy rains have triggered a landslide near the Brazilian city of Petrópolis behind Rio de Janeiro. The number of dead has risen to at least 34 in the mountain region shaped by German immigrants. The Brazilian media reported on Wednesday. The bodies were found after the water level dropped in the flooded city center of Petrópolis.
“In Moscow I learned about the tragedy that happened in Petrópolis,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter. Bolsonaro traveled to Russia on Tuesday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Storm disaster in Brazil: landslides claim at least 34 dead
According to the fire department, around 180 rescue workers were on duty in Petrópolis on Tuesday (February 15, 2022) to look for other possible victims. The city government declared a state of emergency. The city was flooded in several places, and cars were swept away. The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, had appeared at a meeting in Petrópolis in the mountains behind Rio to determine the state government’s measures, according to a statement. The city is also a popular vacation spot for Rio residents due to its location and cool climate during the hot summer months in the southern hemisphere.
In recent weeks, landslides and flooding have claimed at least ten lives in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais. There was also tragedy when a rock face fell on a tourist boat on Furnas Dam. Ten people lost their lives. However, it was unclear whether the heavy rain had also contributed to the loosening of a large part of the rock.
The state of Bahia in Brazil had previously experienced the worst flooding in more than 30 years. However, storm disasters are not uncommon in Brazil: more than 900 people lost their lives in a storm disaster in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro in 2011. It was considered the worst storm disaster in the country’s history, and Petrópolis was also particularly affected. (as with dpa and KNA)
