A strong storm has caused the deaths of at least nine people in southeastern Brazil, especially in the mountainous area of Rio de Janeiro state. Rescue teams were sent to address the serious situation.
In the town of Petropolis, which is 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the capital, three individuals died when a house collapsed, according to a report from an emergency committee composed of Rio government and civil defense officials.
Furthermore, an AFP team confirmed the discovery of another body in the wreckage on Saturday. Earlier, a girl who had been trapped overnight was rescued alive.
Additional fatalities were reported in Santa Cruz da Serra, where a man drowned after his truck fell into a river; in Teresopolis, where a person died in a house collapse; and in Arraial do Cabo, where an individual was struck by lightning.
Additionally, officials stated that two children, aged three and nine, died on Friday in separate storm-related incidents in the state of Sao Paolo.
Late Friday, Rio Governor Claudio Castro described the situation in Petropolis as "critical" due to "intense rains and the overflowing of the Quitandinha River."
The governor mentioned that dozens of soldiers with dogs were sent to the scene, and displaced individuals were accommodated in schools.
As of Saturday morning, around 90 individuals had been rescued alive, as per the report.
Local media images depicted streams of water, mud, and debris flowing down the slopes in picturesque Petropolis, where the memory of a devastating storm in February 2022, which took 241 lives, is still fresh.
The latest storm brought 270 millimeters (11 inches) of rain within just 24 hours, according to the Rio government.
The National Institute of Meteorology had forecasted a severe storm, particularly in Rio, with a daily rainfall of 200mm from Friday to Sunday — surpassing the 141mm typical for the entire month of March in that area.
In anticipation of the approaching storm, Rio authorities declared a public holiday on Friday and advised people to remain indoors.
The heavy rains followed a powerful cold front that swept through the area shortly after a record heat wave with temperatures reaching up to 62 degrees Celsius (143 degrees Fahrenheit).
AFP
