Released on: 16/02/2022 – 10:45
Landslides and flooding activated by heavy rains killed a minimum of 18 people Tuesday in a tourist town in the hills above Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian firefighters said.
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” So far, 18 deaths brought on by floods and landslides have actually been validated” in recent hours, the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department said in a statement.The department did not provide figures for those injured or missing.It stated more than 180 firemens and other rescue workers were at the scene in the picturesque hill town of Petropolis where Brazils last emperor Pedro II is buried, 68 kilometers (42 miles) north of the city of Rio.” Specialized search-and-rescue teams have actually been sent out to enhance the rescue operations, with the assistance of 4×4 automobiles and boats,” it added.City hall stated a “state of catastrophe” as images spread on social media of destroyed houses and cars swept away by floodwater.Many stores were completely swamped by the rising waters which gushed down the streets of the historic city center. Some parts of Petropolis got approximately 260 millimeters (10 inches) of water in less than six hours, more than was expected for the entire month of February, according to the meteorological firm MetSul.The heaviest downpour had passed but more moderate rains was expected to continue for a number of hours, authorities said.Global warming has actually increased the risk of heavy storms and flooding, as the environment retains more water and rainfall patterns are disrupted.President Jair Bolsonaro, on a main journey to Russia, stated on Twitter that he was keeping abreast of “the tragedy” and asked his ministers to provide “instant help to the victims.” Earlier this month, landslides and floods caused by torrential rain eliminated a minimum of 28 individuals in the southeast of the country, primarily in Sao Paulo state and the area north of Rio.In January 2011, more than 900 individuals passed away in the mountainous region of Rio due to heavy rains that caused flooding and landslides in a large location consisting of Petropolis and neighbouring cities Nova Friburgo and Teresopolis.Petropolis, the summertime home of the previous royal court, is a tourist location that draws in a great deal of visitors.Because of its elevation, it has a cooler climate than the coast of Rio.( AFP).
