Brazil mudslides kill at least 104 as worst rains in 90 years hit Petropolis
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Loading... - Scarlett Lawrence
- 18 Feb 2022
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At least 104 people have died from floods and mudslides that swept away homes and cars in the city of Petropolis, the locality's Civil Defence said on Thursday, two days after the worst rains in 90 years hit the tourist city north of Rio de Janeiro.
"At this stage, we have recorded 104 deaths and the firefighters have found 24 survivors," the locality's Civil Defence said amid a particularly deadly rainy season in Brazil.
More than 24 hours after the deadly deluge early Tuesday, survivors were digging to find lost loved ones. Rio de Janeiro’s public prosecutors’ office said in a statement Wednesday night that it had compiled a list of 35 people yet to be located.
Footage posted on social media showed torrents dragging cars and houses through the streets and water swirling through the city. One video showed two buses sinking into a swollen river as its passengers clambered out the windows, scrambling for safety. Some didn’t make it to the banks and were washed away, out of sight.
On Wednesday morning, houses were left buried beneath mud while appliances and cars were in piles on the streets.
Petropolis, named for a former Brazilian emperor, has been a refuge for people escaping the summer heat and tourists keen to explore the so-called “Imperial City.”
Its prosperity has also drawn poorer residents from Rio’s poorer regions. Its population grew haphazardly, climbing mountainsides now covered with small residences packed tightly together. Many are in areas unfit for structures and made more vulnerable by deforestation and inadequate drainage.
The state fire department said 25.8 centimetres of rain fell within three hours on Tuesday -- almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined. Rio de Janeiro’s Gov. Claudio Castro said in a press conference that the rains were the worst Petropolis has received since 1932.
“No one could predict rain as hard as this,” Castro said. More rain is expected through the rest of the week, according to weather forecasters. Read More…
