Many dead from rain and landslides near Rio de Janeiro

Heavy rain in Petrópolis in the mountains behind Rio, which is shaped by German immigrants, leads to landslides and floods, over 20 people die.

Petrópolis – After heavy rain and landslides, the death toll in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro has risen to at least 23.

This was reported by Brazilian television on Tuesday evening. According to the report, the bodies were found after the level in the flooded city center of Petrópolis dropped.

“In Moscow I found out about the tragedy that happened in Petrópolis,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

City flooded, cars swept away

The news portal “G1” had previously reported at least five dead and at least three buried people, citing the fire department. The city was flooded in several places and cars were swept away.

The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, appeared at a meeting in Petrópolis in the mountains behind Rio, which is dominated by German immigrants, to determine the state government’s measures, according to a statement. Petrópolis 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 the past few weeks, at least ten people have died from landslides and floods in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais. There was also a tragedy when a rock face fell on a tourist boat on Furnas Dam, killing ten people. It was unclear whether the heavy rain had also contributed to the loosening of a large part of the rock.

The state of Bahia, which borders Minas Gerais to the northeast, had previously experienced the worst flooding in more than 30 years. More than 900 people died in a storm 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. dpa