At least eight people have been confirmed killed while over 13 persons remain missing after torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.
The latest floods and landslides come only six weeks after flash floods and landslides killed over 233 people in the scenic city of Petropoliswhich is the Brazilian empire’s 19th-century summer capital.
The rains which lasted for two days swept across parts of the southeastern state’s Atlantic coast. This is the latest in a series of deadly storms in Brazil that experts have said is being aggravated by climate change.
According to reports, the areas hit hardest included the tourist town of Paraty, which is a seaside colonial city known for its picturesque cobblestone streets and colourful houses.
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Officials said a landslide in the Ponta Negra neighbourhood had killed a mother and five of her children, ages two, five, eight, 10 and 15. A sixth child was rescued alive and taken to the hospital
While a total of seven houses were swept away in landslides in the city, another four people were reported injured. Seventy-one families were forced from their homes, according to officials.
Reports showed that the storms turned streets into rivers in several cities on Friday night, sweeping up cars and triggering landslides which have become a frequent tragedy in the rainy season, especially in poor hillside communities.
The federal government announced that it had sent military aircraft to help the local rescue effort, and dispatched national disaster response secretary Alexandre Lucas to the state.
Story was adapted from Aljazeera.
