RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The City Hall of Pará de Minas, a municipality in Minas Gerais, on Sunday, January 9, issued an emergency alert to all families living below the Carioca Dam. All residents are advised to leave their homes due to the risk of the dam rupturing.
Residents of Pitangui, Onça de Pitangui, São João e Cima, Casquilho de Baixo, Casquilho de Cima and Conceição do Pará were also alerted.
Mayor Elias Diniz said that he has provided shelter and social services teams to accommodate residents. The city hall will offer shelter to those who have no relatives close.
The concern is due to the rising volume of water in the dam caused by the rains of recent days. “It’s not fake news. It’s a general alert,” the mayor said.
RAINS IN MINAS GERAIS
With the heavy and persistent rainfall affecting Brazil’s central region, highway maintenance workers have their hands full. On Sunday afternoon, the Federal Highway Police (PRF) reported that in Minas Gerais, the Brazilian state with the largest network of highways, 22 of them were completely blocked and 64 were partially closed, considering both state and federal roads.
Due to the rains, towns have flooded, a dam overflowed and a downpour caused the collapse of a canyon in Furnas Lake, Capitólio. Ten people died.
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