Brazil: At least seven dead after heavy rains in the south
Brasilia – At least seven people have died and 20 others are missing following heavy rains that hit the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, on the border with Argentina, regional Civil Defense said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the same source, six people died in the town of Presidente Getulio and another in Ibirama, two municipalities in the region of Vale do Itajaí, near the seaside resort of Blumenau.
The torrential rains that began Wednesday evening and lasted until the early hours of Thursday “have wreaked havoc and homelessness in the municipalities of Vale do Itajaí and in the metropolitan region of Florianópolis”, said Civil Defense.
Presidente Getulio, a municipality of 17,000 inhabitants located 80 kilometers from Blumenau, has experienced landslides that have cut off roads, while more than half of the city is without electricity or a telephone network.
A preliminary report indicated that around 20 people were missing and that other neighboring towns, such as Aurora, Ascurra, Río do Sul and Apiúna, recorded damage, particularly in residences.
In the metropolitan area of the regional capital, Florianópolis, the most affected municipalities were Sao José, Palhoça and Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, with floods and landslides.
According to the Santa Catarina Natural Disaster Monitoring Center (Cemaden), the rains lasted twelve consecutive hours and reached 212 millimeters.
“It’s a moment of solidarity with all the victims. We are working from the early hours and our teams are already on site to help those who are homeless, ”said the governor of Santa Catarina, Carlos Moisés.
–
