Thirty-two people remain hospitalized in hospitals in Paraná, victims of a tornado that passed through the state last Friday (7). According to a bulletin from the state Department of Health, released late this Sunday morning (9), four patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), “but no serious cases”.
Winds of more than 250 kilometers per hour hit the city of 14 thousand inhabitants, which is located in the Center-South of Paraná, 400 km east of the capital, Curitiba. According to Civil Defense, 90% of the urban area of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu suffered some damage to infrastructure. The weather phenomenon left six deaths, five in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and one in Guarapuava, also in the Center-South of the state.
The Department of Health updated the number of medical visits to 835. Aid to the injured was concentrated in the neighboring city of Laranjeiras do Sul.
The state government sent a batch of hospital supplies to the region, such as serum bottles, bandages, syringes, needles and compresses. The material travels by plane to Guarapuava airport, from where it was transported in four helicopters to Laranjeiras do Sul.
The Fire Department reported that there is no record of missing people, and the search has been closed. The teams’ work is now focused on reorganizing essential services, such as water and electricity supply, as well as the distribution of food and drinking water.
Half without light
Copel, the company responsible for energy distribution in Paraná, reported that it has reestablished 49% of the electrical energy distribution network in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu. On Saturday (8), the company had reported that 3,790 addresses were without electricity in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, which represented around 75% of the total number of customers in the city.
Almost 2 thousand homes and establishments are without power. Copel detailed that priority urgent structures have already been reconnected, such as the Civil Defense Command Center, the health post and the Center for the Elderly.
The number of poles destroyed exceeds 300. “The electrical networks will have to be built from scratch in a large part of the city”, states a statement from the company.
More than 200 electricians, technicians and designers are working on the emergency effort.
Across the state, Copel reports that it has reestablished the electricity grid in 90% of the addresses that had an interruption. Around 14,900 customers still need repairs, the vast majority in the north of Paraná (12,700).
Customers without electricity can make a notification by calling 0800 5100 116.
Copel reported that it permanently monitors each of the addresses where exams for the National High School Examination (Enem) are administered to guarantee energy supply. Specifically in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, the realization of the exam was suspended.
Municipalities affected
According to the latest update from the Civil Defense of Paraná, early this Sunday morning, 12 municipalities were hit by the tornado.: Candói, Cantagalo, Cruzeiro do Iguaçu, Foz do Iguaçu, Guaraniaçu, Guarapuava, Londrina, Matinhos, Porto Barreiro, Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Turvo and Umuarama.
14,751 people were affected – for example, they were left without electricity, water or communications, 11,785 of whom were in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu.
The number of homeless people (who have gone to the home of relatives or friends) reaches 1,060, and 28 are homeless (people in public shelters).
The bulletin points out that 704 houses were damaged, 620 of which were in Porto Barreiro. Fifteen homes were destroyed, all in Guarapuava.
Authorities
The governor of Paraná, Ratinho Junior, decreed state of calamity in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu.
The state of public calamity allows the local government to carry out emergency spending without normal budget restrictions, in addition to facilitating access to federal funds.
The Ministry of Health sent a team from SUS National Force to Rio Bonito do Iguaçu. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva used social media to show solidarity to those affected.
