At least 104 dead after rain and landslides near Rio
Created: 02/17/2022Updated: 02/17/2022 04:42
Rescue workers use a sniffer dog to search for the victims of a landslide in Petropolis, Brazil.
© Silvia Izquierdo/AP/dpa
Firefighters and residents search for missing people under rubble and mud in German-immigrated Petrópolis in the Rio de Janeiro mountains.
Fundraisers are underway.
Petrópolis - After landslides and floods caused by heavy rain, the death toll in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro has risen to at least 104.
This was reported by the Brazilian news portal "G1".
Accordingly, eight children were among the victims.
The Agência Brasil news agency quoted the mayor of Petrópolis, Rubens Bomtempo, as saying that the number of dead could still rise.
Worst rain since 1932
The number of buried people was not initially known, the fire brigade and residents searched for them under the rubble and mud.
A total of 24 people were rescued alive.
At least 80 houses were hit by a mudslide, more than 180 residents of risk areas were housed in schools, according to civil protection, and 372 people became homeless.
According to the meteorology broadcaster Climatempo, on Tuesday it had rained more in six hours than was expected for the entire month of February.
"It was the worst rain in Petrópolis since 1932," Governor Cláudio Castro said, according to the statement.
Slopes slid, cars were swept away by the water masses, roads were blocked.
"It's almost a war situation," Castro said.
more on the subject
Athenians still shovel snow
Toyota RAV4 in Lamborghini look: a sheep in wolf's clothing
Eurofighters are moving to MV for almost three years
Hundreds of firefighters and police officers were involved in the rescue and clean-up work.
"Our task now is to get life in the city going again," said Governor Castro.
"We have mobilized teams and machines and will do whatever is necessary to rebuild the city and ease the pain of the victims' families." Both government and private fundraisers have begun.
Water and hygiene items were needed the most.
January, February and March see repeated heavy rains in Rio and the region.
The singer Elis Regina and the composer Antônio Carlos "Tom" Jobim even set a musical monument to the March rain in the bossa nova song "Águas de Março" (literally: water of March) in the 1970s.
Illegal construction despite the risk of landslides
In reality, the March rains are often far less gentle, bringing destruction and death with them, as they did this time.
Residents have often built their houses illegally on mountain slopes that are prone to landslides.
Parts of Rio de Janeiro are also controlled by so-called militias who have entered the real estate business.
Apparently, the building regulations are not always observed.
In addition, sewage and sewage systems in many cities have not grown, and investments in sanitary facilities, drainage, flood and slope protection are neglected.
More than 900 people died in a storm in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro in 2011.
It was considered the worst in Brazilian history.
Petrópolis, with its approximately 300,000 inhabitants, was particularly affected.
The city, which was shaped by German immigrants and was once the summer residence of the Brazilian imperial family, is also a popular holiday destination for residents of Rio due to its altitude and cool climate during the hot tropical summer months in the southern hemisphere.
dpa