At least 58 people were killed in devastating flash floods that swept through the picturesque Brazilian city of Petropolis, turning streets into torrential rivers, officials said Wednesday.
Heavy storms on Tuesday dumped 25.8cm of rain on the city in three hours, nearly equal to all the rainfall from the previous month, said the mayor’s office for the scenic town in the hills north of Rio de Janeiro.
At least 21 people have been so far been rescued alive in the effort, according to the state government. Around 300 people were being housed in shelters, mostly in schools, officials said. Charities called for donations of mattresses, blankets, food, water, clothing and face masks for victims.
Videos posted on social media from Tuesday’s rains showed streets in Petropolis, the 19th-century summer capital of the Brazilian empire, fill with gushing floods that swept away cars, trees and nearly everything else in their path.
Officials said more than 180 firefighters and other rescue workers were responding to the emergency.
City hall declared a “state of disaster” in the city of 300,000 people, which sits 68km north of the city of Rio.
Many shops were completely inundated by the rising waters, which gushed down the streets of the historic city centre.
Officials said 400 soldiers had been sent in to reinforce rescue teams, which were using four-wheel-drive vehicles, rescue boats and a dozen planes to search for victims.
Tuesday’s rainfall was more than was expected for the whole month of February, according to the meteorological agency MetSul.
