The number of people killed in the rain that devastated Petrópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, rose to 223. Of this total, 132 are women and 91 are men. Among the victims, there are 42 minors.
The storm that hit the imperial city on the 15th flooded streets, destroyed neighborhoods and killed entire families.
As the number of deaths increases, the number of missing persons decreases. Until this Saturday (26), 20 people had not yet been located.
According to the city hall, 201 victims were buried in the city cemetery. The first to be buried was little Evelyn Luiza Netto da Silva, 11, buried the day after the tragedy.
The release of some bodies takes longer due to the state in which they arrived at the IML (Instituto Medico Legal). In these cases, it is necessary to do DNA and papilloscopic exams to have the identification.
According to the Civil Police, there is a joint effort made up of forensic and criminal experts, papilloscopists, technicians and necropsy assistants to speed up the work.
At least 400 firefighters continue to work in the search for victims in the city. They are mainly concentrated in Morro da Oficina, Vila Felipe and the Sargento Boening neighborhood, the areas most affected by the storms.
The Armed Forces also operate in the city. In all, 1,100 soldiers were employed in the city’s recovery work and medical assistance. According to the city hall, they have already carried out 950 medical consultations, distributed 188 tons of donations and cleared 30 roads.
In addition to human losses, the storm destroyed entire neighborhoods, forcing 930 people to seek shelter in the 13 available reception points. According to the municipal administration, these people are receiving essential items and guidance on the social services they can request.
Despite the fear of rain, some residents continue to live on the edge of the ravines that have slipped.
The destruction caused by the rains also strongly affected local commerce. According to a survey carried out by IFec RJ (Instituto Fecomércio de Pesquisas e Análises), the rains in the city caused a loss of more than R$ 78 million to local businesses.
According to the study, 65.8% of merchants had a loss or drop in revenue and 32.4% had their establishments or warehouses flooded. The survey heard 245 traders between the 16th and 17th of February.
Firjan (Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro) estimates that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Petrópolis should suffer losses of R$ 665 million because of the damage caused by the storm.
