After landslides and floods caused by heavy rain, the death toll in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro has risen to at least 94. This emerged from a statement by the government of the state of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. Accordingly, eight children were among the victims. The Agência Brasil news agency quoted the mayor of Petrópolis, Rubens Bomtempo, as saying that the number of dead could still rise.
The number of buried people was not initially known. A total of 21 people were rescued alive, according to the Rio de Janeiro state government. At least 80 houses were hit by a mudslide, so more than 300 people had to leave their homes.
Hundreds of firefighters and police officers were deployed. “Our task now is to get life in the city going again,” said Governor Cláudio Castro, according to the statement. “We have mobilized teams and machines and will do whatever is necessary to rebuild the city and ease the pain of the victims’ families.”
According to the meteorology broadcaster Climatempo, on Tuesday it had rained more in six hours than had been expected for the entire month of February. Slopes slid, cars were swept away by the water masses, roads were blocked. More than 900 people died in a storm in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro in 2011. It was considered the worst in Brazilian history.