At least five people have been killed in flash floods in Petropolis, local authorities said Monday, a month after a devastation killed 233 people in the Brazilian city.
“So far we have found five bodies,” said the Rio de Janeiro (southeastern) state fire department, adding that four other residents were still missing.
According to local authorities, within a few hours on Sunday it rained equal to what is usually recorded throughout March, almost equal to that which had occurred a month ago.
Videos uploaded to social networking sites show torrents of water, with water sweeping through everything as they did a month ago, when the worst disaster in the history of Petropolis, a mountainous tourist town about 60km from state capital Rio de Janeiro.
Officials: Death toll rises to 7 in overnight floods in #RioDeJaneiroAngra do Reis & # Petrópoliswhere heavy rain killed 100’s last month
Around 100 incidents of landslides & flooding have been reported, with roads inundated & buildings damaged or destroyed#Brazil #Breaking pic.twitter.com/RXWTZ3lAvA
– 🌎 Sarwar 🌐 (@ferozwala) March 21, 2022
In one of the videos, the rushing waters sweep away some of the 233 crosses that were installed in a public place to pay tribute to the victims of the February 15 tragedy.
Local authorities have warned that the rain will continue to this day. The Civil Protection maintains an increased level of landslide alarm.
Thirteen help centers were opened by the municipality and they undertook to receive and take care of 839 people.
State authorities have set up a crisis response team, are stepping up firefighting forces and assembling heavy equipment for rescue operations, Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro said via Twitter.
About 150 soldiers participated in the rescue operations, as well as specialized units.
The city suffered the worst bad weather recorded since 1932 in February.
Heavy rains hit the entire state yesterday Sunday. Two people were killed at the Angra Shower Hays beach resort, where a tree fell on a car.
Scientists point out that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
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