Families bury victims of deadly mudslides and floods in the mountain town of Petropolis, where authorities say the death toll could rise further as dozens of people remain missing.
Floods and mudslides washed away homes and cars, but even as families bury their dead, it’s unclear how many bodies remain trapped in the mud. (AP)
The toll from the floods and landslides that swept through the mountain town of Petropolis in Brazil has risen to at least 110, with authorities saying it could rise sharply further, with more than 130 people still missing.
The Rio de Janeiro state government on Thursday confirmed the increased loss of life hours after local police reported the disappearance of 134 people, many of whom feared they were trapped in the mud beneath the city of German influence nestled in the mountains above the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Survivors dug into the crumbling landscape to find loved ones even as more landslides likely appeared on the slopes of the city. A small slip on Thursday prompted an evacuation but did not cause any injuries.
Rosilene Virginia said her brother barely escaped and she considered it a miracle. But a friend has not yet been found.
“It’s very sad to see people asking for help and having no way to help, no way to do anything,” Virginia told the AP news agency as a man comforted her.
“It’s hopeless, such a great sense of loss.”
As some people tried to clear the mud, others began to bury lost relatives, with 17 funerals in the damaged cemetery.
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Brazil landslide death toll rises as rescue efforts continue
The Brazilian city of Petropolis declares a state of disaster after at least 71 people were killed and around 80 homes were damaged by flooding caused by heavy rains pic.twitter.com/RTcJd2BLdE
— TRT World (@trtworld) February 16, 2022
‘God’s hand’
Petropolis, named after a former Brazilian emperor, has been a haven for people fleeing the summer heat and tourists eager to explore the so-called “imperial city”.
The state fire department said 10 inches (25.8 centimeters) of rain fell in three hours Tuesday — nearly as much as the previous 30 days combined.
Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro told a news conference that the rains were the worst Petropolis had received since 1932.
“Nobody could predict rain as heavy as this,” Castro said. More rain was expected for the rest of the week, according to meteorologists.
Castro added that nearly 400 people were left homeless and 24 people were found alive. They were lucky, and there were few of them.
Lisa Torres Machado, 64, said “the hand of God” spared her family from tragedy.
“A small room was left at my mother’s house and she hid there with my two sisters and my brother,” Machado, a resident of Petropolis for three decades, told AP.
“I can’t sleep. I still can’t believe what’s going on. We’ve lost all our friends.”
Similar disasters
The stricken mountainous region has seen similar disasters in recent decades, including one that killed more than 900 people.
In the years that followed Petropolis’ presentation of a plan to reduce the risk of landslides, work progressed only slowly.
The plan, presented in 2017, was based on an analysis determining that 18% of the city’s territory was at high risk of landslides and floods.
Petropolis City Hall declared three days of mourning for the tragedy.
Southeast Brazil has been punished by heavy rains since the start of the year, with more than 40 deaths recorded between incidents in the state of Minas Gerais in early January and in the state of Sao Paulo later on same month.
Source: AP
