At least 11 people died and 20 disappeared due to the passage of a cyclone between Thursday and Friday in southern Brazil, according to a new balance of local authorities.
“According to the State Subcommittee on Protection and Civil Protection, 11 people died as a result of the effects of the cyclone,” the government of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, on the border with Uruguay and Argentina, said in a released statement. on Saturday.
“Eighteen people are still missing in Caraá and two in Três Forquilhas,” in the east of the state, he added.
In the previous balance, the authorities counted eight dead and 19 missing after the passage of an additional tropical cyclone in the south of the country.
Local authorities evacuated 602 residents from high-risk areas, while the homes of 2,330 people were damaged.
State governor Eduardo Leite visited the hardest-hit areas by helicopter on Saturday, accompanied by civil protection elements.
“Our main goal is to protect and save human lives. Rescuing people who are isolated, locating missing persons and providing all support to families,” said Leite.
The cyclone’s passage along the coast of this region has left a trail of destruction, causing landslides, flooding, power cuts in thousands of homes and the collapse of some bridges, hampering the work of rescue teams.
The ministers of the Presidency’s Social Communications Secretariat, Paulo Pimenta, and of Integration and Regional Development, António Waldez Góes, flew with the governor over the regions worst affected by the storm.
Waldez Góes stated that “humanitarian aid” will be provided first and then the focus will be on securing funds for reconstruction.
“Mobilization must be permanent,” said the minister, warning of the large number of people still living in areas considered at risk for possible extreme weather events.
Source: DN
