The intense rains that fell in the mountainous region of Petrópolis, near Rio de Janeiro, left large areas overflowing with water and others with relentless landslides that, for the moment, have left a balance of 78 fatalities. President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on a diplomatic trip to Russia, assured that the State will give immediate support to this situation.
The abundant rainfall that fell on Tuesday, February 15, generated a tragedy in Brazil after the death of 78 people, victims of floods and landslides in the mountainous area of Petrópolis, a city near Rio de Janeiro, was confirmed this Wednesday.
The region was hit by an intense deluge of a few hours, where the equivalent of all of January’s rain fell. Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said it is very likely that the number of casualties will increase as searchers remove debris and dig.
In dialogue with The Associated Press, one of the neighbors described that “the water gushed out, the mud gushed out, we couldn’t do anything. Our city is sadly finished,” he stated.
One bar owner admitted he had “never seen anything like it.” “It was like an avalanche, everything fell at once,” he said.
For his part, Governor Claudio Castro announced that he will gather all the heavy machinery of the state government to help clear the buried area. Furthermore, he reported that there were already military personnel working in the damaged region.
The fire department explained that such a disaster was rooted because, during three hours of Tuesday night, the area received 25.6 centimeters of rain, which is equal to what fell during the previous 30 days.
Through social networks, the inhabitants showed how cars and houses were displaced by the ferocious landslide. The ‘Globo’ chain echoed houses completely buried under mud in sections where firefighters have not yet entered. There are also inaccessible streets because they are blocked by cars and other elements that were washed away during the storm and do not allow access to higher parts of the city.
The city council of Petrópolis announced that there will be three days of mourning in memory of the deceased.
Bolsonaro promises help and immediate support from the State
Meanwhile, President Jair Bolsonaro – who is in Russia for diplomatic reasons – sent his regrets on Twitter. “May God comfort the families of the victims,” he wrote. He also promised his ministers to provide their immediate support to the victims.
The Brazilian southeast was hit with heavy rains also at the beginning of the year, where there were more than 40 deaths recorded between the incidents that occurred in the state of Minas Gerais in the first days of January and the state of Sao Paulo at the end of the month.
Petrópolis is a city located in the mountains, traditionally considered as a tourist place and an alternative due to its mild temperatures, which has structures from almost two centuries ago. However, its old buildings make it prone to heavy rains. For example, in January 2011, this region suffered the death of 900 people due to heavy rainfall.
