Brazil: storm kills at least eleven people in the southeast

At least eleven people lost their lives during a violent storm which affected Friday the southeast of Brazil, notably the mountainous region of the state of Rio de Janeiro where the authorities describe the situation as "critical”.

The Rio state government has confirmed four deaths in the collapse of a house and a small building in Petrópolis, a tourist town located about 70 kilometers from the capital of the State.

An AFP team attended on Saturday morning the rescue of a little girl who had been buried for sixteen hours under the rubble, and the discovery of the body of her father near her.

“The father heroically protected the little girl with his body and she was saved (…) We are in pain, but grateful for this miracle”, said told AFP Luis Claudio de Souza, 63, neighbor and owner of a neighborhood bar.

The situation in Petropolis is “critical”, due to “intense rains and the overflowing of the Quitandinha River”, Governor Claudio Castro warned Friday on social networks.

In total, the state of Rio has recorded seven deaths since Friday due to rains, including others in Teresópolis, Santa Cruz da Serra and Arraial do Cabo, according to the government.

In addition, the civil defense of Espírito Santo confirmed on Saturday afternoon four deaths in the south of the territory.

In addition, two children were were injured and hospitalized Friday in rain-related incidents on the coast of Sao Paulo.

The storm is due to the arrival of a cold front which wreaked havoc mid-week in Rio Grande do Sul (south), then affected Sao Paulo and Rio, before reaching Espírito Santo, explained the meteorologists from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet).

The severity of the floods was illustrated by aerial images showing the town of Mimoso do Sul under water, broadcast by the firefighters.

A flooded neighborhood of Duque de Caxias after a violent storm, March 24, 2024 in Brazil © AFP – Pablo PORCIUNCULA

Inmet forecasts had anticipated a “severe” storm, particularly in Rio, with precipitation of 200 mm of rain per day between Friday and Sunday.

This volume exceeds the historical average of 141.5 mm estimated for the entire month of March.

The storm comes after a heat wave in the region, where a felt temperature of 62.3ºC was recorded on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil, which is suffering the effects of climate change, is in the grip of to repeated natural disasters. More than 230 people died in Petropolis in 2022 following heavy rains.

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