Until last night (19), the rescue teams working in Petrópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, took 24 people alive from the landslides and floods that affect the city since Tuesday (15), when a storm fell in the region. The city was again hit by heavy rains on Thursday (17). The death toll rose to 152 and there are still 165 people missing, according to the state’s Civil Police.
Civil Defense teams continued the search throughout the night, even with heavy to moderate rain. Since Tuesday, more than 800 calls have been registered, most of them for landslides, which affected houses and public roads in different parts of the city. About 800 people are being assisted by Social Assistance, in 20 support points set up to welcome residents of risk areas.
sniffer dogs
Sniffer dogs from the Petrópolis Municipal Civil Guard and other corporations from different states of the country that have sent aid to the city are helping in the search for the bodies of the victims of the landslides. There are 35 dogs working in places like Alto da Serra, Rua Teresa, Sergeant Boening, Caxambu and Cremerie.
The expectation is that today (20) the number of animals working in search and rescue work will rise to 45. They were sent from states and municipalities such as Teresópolis, Magé, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Bahia, Minas Gerais and Santa Catarina. Four dogs from Argentina and more animals sent by the government of Goiás and Rio Grande do Sul are also expected.
According to the technical and operational manager of the Petrópolis Dog Operations Group, Leandro Lopes, dogs played an important role in the rescue of dozens of bodies.
“So that we can give more speed and dynamics to the work, from the moment we make the detection and the animal gives the positive sign, we already leave for another point while the firefighters start excavating at the indicated place. Therefore, we do not yet have a survey of how many victims were found alive or not”.
Cleaning
The city of Petrópolis is currently carrying out a mega-operation to clean the streets, with the support of the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói. There will be more than two thousand men and women working in different parts of the city, in addition to machines and trucks, in the first action of the National Front of Mayors.
The Urban Cleaning Company of the capital (Comlurb) sent 15 large dump trucks, two smaller ones, seven mechanical shovels and four water trucks, in addition to two vans equipped with a motor pump and items for removing branches, a support truck and five vans. of tree pruning, with 50 chainsaws.
Yesterday, the cleaning work involved more than a thousand people, concentrated in the streets of the Historic Center, Bingen, Coronel Veiga and Washington Luiz. The teams also work in regions such as Centro, Quitandinha, Alto da Serra, Chácara Flora and Corrêas. According to the Municipal Transport Department, half of the approximately 20 roads that are essential for urban mobility in the municipality affected after the rains have already been cleared.
Petrópolis bus companies are gradually reestablishing the operation of the lines. Yesterday (19), the buses continued operating with reduced schedules and fleet.
Petrópolis City Hall asks residents to avoid leaving their homes, to speed up cleaning actions with fewer people circulating around the city.
state actions
The Department of Health of Rio de Janeiro (SES) yesterday sent four motorcycles from the group of motorcyclists of the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) in the capital to act in relief actions in difficult to reach places in Petrópolis. Another four arrive today in the municipality.
According to the state government, the agents meet the spontaneous demand of the population and reach places where other vehicles still cannot reach, because of the difficulty of mobility and obstruction of the roads after the landslides.
State Health Surveillance teams were at the shelters that welcome the victims to reinforce guidance regarding safety protocols and contamination by covid-19.
The Detran is also working in the city, for the issuance of identities and duplicate driver’s licenses. 54 documents have already been delivered, with about 300 assistances to residents without civil documentation or duplicate CNH.
The RJ for All program, run by the Government Secretariat, has already served 2,810 Petropolitans at Colégio Estadual Rui Barbosa. Among the actions offered are the issuance of a digital work card, a job bank and legal advice.
merchants
To make a diagnosis of the financial losses suffered by traders in Petrópolis, the city hall launched an online form. The questionnaire can be completed by link. It is necessary to inform data such as corporate name, CNPJ, telephone, email, address, economic activity and number of employees, in addition to the losses suffered and cost estimate to resume the activity.
According to the Secretary of Finance, Paulo Roberto Patuléa, multidisciplinary teams will also collect information in person.
“We will have to rebuild the city. Therefore, we will maintain a dialogue with the entrepreneurs of Petrópolis, who are the ones who generate jobs and income for our city, to seek the best way to help them and together we can rebuild the city. I also want to highlight that entrepreneurs in Petrópolis are also mobilizing for donations to those who need it most”.
