RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL – The municipality of Ipixuna do Pará (Pará state) declared an emergency situation after heavy rain flooded the city on Tuesday, February 16th. About 800 people were left homeless and 1,520 displaced, 50 of them lost their homes in the downpour.
According to the municipal decree, the heavy rains in recent days led the Ipixuna river and streams to rise, as well as flooding, bridge and road collapses, including the BR-010. The measure was taken after an opinion by the Municipal Civil Defense Coordination, according to mayor Artemes Oliveira (PSD).
With the decree, the mobilization of municipal bodies to work together with the Municipal Civil Defense and the call for volunteers to bolster the actions are authorized, among other measures.
Baby’s body washed away
The body of a baby was found on Tuesday, February 16th, by the Fire Department. Yzabela Duarte Ferreira, 1 year and 9 months old, was in a cab with her family in the rural area of Ipixuna do Pará. The vehicle had been carried away by the current.
After the collapse of BR-010, Governor Helder Barbalho traveled to the city and said that “the state will provide assistance to families displaced by the rains in the region and request the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) to rebuild the ruptured stretch.”
“Part of the city is flooded, unfortunately, people are homeless and the BR-10 highway is interrupted due to the collapse of part of the stretch. We are traveling to the city to see the problem and help the families, and also to talk to the DNIT, as it is a federal highway, so that we may reopen the road to traffic in the Belém-Brasília highway,” he said.
BR-010 stretch collapse
Since early Tuesday morning, February 16th, the region has been experiencing heavy rainfall. The road was completely blocked at kilometer 211 along the Belém-Brasília highway.
According to the Federal Highway Police, a stream burst its banks at kilometer 210. The power of the waters severely damaged the roadway, opening an 8 meter-long crater stretching across the riverbank.
Federal Highway Police and National Department of Transport Infrastructure officers were deployed to the site to advise drivers.
With the incident, the main passenger road transport companies suspended trips to the region.