• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > Latin America

Rains Leave Dozens Of Brazilians Dead In Petropolis

  • A street in downtown Petropolis, Brazil, Feb. 16, 2022.

    A street in downtown Petropolis, Brazil, Feb. 16, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/ @WMO

Published 16 February 2022
Opinion

The Oficina Mountain was the most affected area. A large landslide hit over 80 houses around Tereza street, a commercial area near downtown.

Petropolis, a city located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, woke up on Wednesday involved in the tragedy. So far the intense rains have left 54 ​​Brazilians dead, thousands of citizens homeless, and an unknown number of people missing.

RELATED:

Russia Supports Brazil's Entry To UN Security Council

During Tuesday night, a record 258.8 mm of rainfall fell in less than six hours, causing 200 landslides in various places, including the residential area of ​​Alto de la Sierra.

Due to the magnitude and quantity of the landslides, local authorities expect the number of deaths to increase as many people disappeared, dragged by water, mud, and debris.

“Oficina Mountain was the most affected area. A large landslide hit over 80 houses around Tereza street, a commercial area near downtown," local outlet Diario do Poder reported.

"The Civil Defense also reported severe damage in areas such as 24 de Maio, Caxambu, Sargento Boening, Moinho Preto, Vila Felipe, and Vila Militar... In addition to the landslides in the city's upper areas, the rains caused rivers to overflow. They invaded the streets and devastated everything in their path," it added.

Besides declaring three days of mourning, Petropolis Mayor Rubens Bomtempo set a "state of public calamity" in order to serve his citizens and speed up the rescue work.

"We are going through a moment of great sadness due to both the number of fatalities... and events that drastically impact our city," he said.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.