Torrential rains claim 55 lives in Brazil town

People work at a site of a mudslide at Morro da Oficina after pouring rains in Petropolis, Brazil, yesterday.

At least 55 people were killed in devastating flash floods and landslides that hit the picturesque Brazilian city of Petropolis, turning streets into torrential rivers and sweeping away houses, officials said yesterday. Rescue workers raced to find survivors buried in the mud and wreckage after heavy storms on Tuesday dumped a month’s worth of rain in three hours on the scenic tourist town in the hills north of Rio de Janeiro. There were fears the death toll could rise further as firefighters and volunteer rescue workers dug through the remains of houses washed away in torrents of mud, many of them in impoverished hillside slums. 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. Wendel Pio Lourenco, a 24-year-old resident, was walking through the street with a television in his arms, heading to a local church in search of shelter. He said he was trying to save a few possessions, after spending a sleepless night helping search for victims. “I found a girl who was buried alive,” he said. “Everyone is saying it looks like a war zone.” Governor Claudio Castro said much the same after visiting the scene. “It’s almost a war situation. We’ve mobilised our entire team,” he said. 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 paths. Many shops were completely inundated by the rising waters, which gushed down the streets of the historic city centre.