Since last Friday, a severe weather front in Southeast Brazil has claimed 12 lives and left 7 individuals unaccounted for.
Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo bear the brunt, reporting eight and four fatalities, respectively.
Forecasts suggest the storm will persist through Sunday, causing significant distress. The Rain Committee in Rio de Janeiro has confirmed eight deaths due to the tempest.
Notably, in Petropolis, a mountainous locale, a devastating landslide obliterated a family home, killing four.
Miraculously, rescuers saved a four-year-old girl from the debris. Another landslide in the vicinity claimed two young lives from the same household.
In the metropolitan area of Duque de Caxias, tragedy struck when a truck driver drowned as his vehicle plunged into a river.
Concurrently, a lightning strike in Arraial do Cabo ended another life.
These events forced many to abandon their homes, seeking refuge from the imminent danger of more landslides and floods.
Southeast Brazil Grapples with Severe Weather: 12 Fatalities and 7 Missing
Espirito Santo reported grim figures too, with four dead and seven missing, all from the town of Mimoso do Sul.
Among the deceased were residents of a senior care facility. The state has evacuated over 1,200 people in response.
In anticipation of the worsening conditions, Rio’s officials declared a precautionary holiday last Friday.
This decision aimed to safeguard lives by limiting public movement, thereby reducing the risk of casualties from floods and landslides.