After Sao Paulo and the state of Bahia, it is the tourist town of Petropolis in the mountains of the state of Rio de Janeiro (southeastern Brazil), which was hit by heavy rains caused by landslides, officials said.
Firefighters announced Tuesday that 18 people have been killed. The town hall of Petropolis, 68 km north of Rio, confirmed the deaths of both a woman and a man and declared a “state of emergency” to deal with the emergency.
Previous tragedy: At least 18 people have been killed in heavy rains in the Brazilian state of So Paulo
State Governor Claudio Castro said on Twitter that “120 firefighters are working hard and 60 have gone to Petropolis” and he is going there to show his support.
Up to 260 millimeters of water was available in a few hours
Images are already circulating on social media and media, and we have seen houses destroyed by landslides in the mountains and cars being violently swept away by floods. Many businesses were completely submerged as floodwaters engulfed the city’s historic center streets.
Within six hours, some points in the city received 260 millimeters of water, much higher than expected throughout the month of February, according to the Meteorological Agency Metzul.
The rain was over, but others, the town hall warned, were expected to be “mild to moderate” for the next few hours.
During an official visit to Russia, President Jair Bolsanaro took to Twitter to say he was aware of the “tragedy” and asked his ministers to provide “immediate assistance to the victims.”
– Falei também para o governador do Rio, Cládio Castro, which you find in regio atingida.
– Return to proxima sexta-pira e, mesmo distante, continuamo empenhados em ajudar ao proximo. Deuce Ayos Familiars integrates Das Vittimas. @secomvc InMinEconomia dmdregional_br ovgovbr
– Jair M. Bolsanaro (jairbolsonaro) February 16, 2022
A tourist attraction
Petropolis, the summer residence of the former Imperial Court, attracts a large number of visitors in search of history, natural walks and more temperate climates than the beach of Rio de Janeiro. Genero, due to its height.
In January 2011, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in vast areas, including Petropolis and neighboring cities of Nova Fribergo, Idibawa and Teresopolis, killing more than 900 people in the mountains of Rio.
Continue reading: At least 10 people have been killed in heavy rains in Rio
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