The death toll due to floods and landslides after heavy rains in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil has risen to 94. Local officials have given this information in a statement issued. The rain has turned out to be a catastrophe. Many houses have been destroyed and many people are said to be missing. Rescue operation is being carried out continuously to save the people. Officials say that relief and rescue operations are still going on in Petropolis, the most affected by this natural disaster. Here Mayor Rubens Bomtempo says that the number of casualties (dead) may increase. So far, 21 people have been successful in saving them safely.
Hundreds of people died in the region in 2011 due to heavy rains. Amid relief and rescue operations, 49-year-old Rosaline Virgilio couldn't stop crying on Wednesday as she remembered the cries of a woman trapped under the rubble she could not save. He told, "Yesterday a woman was shouting for help. Get me out of here, but we couldn't do anything. Debris of water and soil was sinking. Unfortunately our city has been ruined.
Governor Claudio Castro told reporters on Wednesday that it was a "war-like situation" and that he was getting all possible help, including heavy machinery, from neighboring states to clear debris from the affected areas. At the same time, Sputnik News Agency quoted media reports as saying that about 80 people have died, while 54 houses were destroyed by the disaster. The Russian news agency, citing the G1 broadcaster, said 24 people had been rescued by the Civil Protection Service, while another 35 were missing.
180 soldiers engaged in rescue operation
The state fire department said in a statement late Tuesday that 180 soldiers were involved in the rescue operation. The department said that the area received 25.8 cm of rain within three hours of the day, which is equal to the rainfall received in the previous 30 days. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is visiting Russia, tweeted that he has instructed his ministers to immediately help those affected by the rains.