Brazil: Heavy rain and landslides killed 13 people

Rio de Janeiro state government of Brazil on March 18 announced that 13 people were killed, 3 missing and 20 others were injured in the past 24 hours due to heavy rain in the tourist city of Petrópolis in this state.

Speaking at a press conference, state governor Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral, said most of the victims were buried in their homes. He called on people to leave areas at risk of flooding or landslides to secure areas arranged by the government.

He also said the city with nearly 300,000 people is being placed in the highest alert. Heavy rain forced the authorities to leave school, at least until March 19.

Petrópolis city sinks in the water.

President Dilma Rousseff, who is in Rome to attend Pope Francis' inauguration, called Cabral to announce that the federal government is ready to assist Rio in dealing with the consequences of the disaster.

Among the victims were two employees of the Civil Defense Agency who were conducting a search for missing people but were also killed by landslides.

In the last 24 hours the rainfall at Petrópolis amounted to nearly 400 millimeters, higher than the average rainfall of 270 millimeters for the whole March, usually a heavy rainy month. According to state governments, heavy rains caused at least 12 rivers in Rio to suffer from water. overflow.

Other cities in Rio's mountainous area were also damaged by heavy rains, but Petrópolis, where 21 landslides occurred, suffered the most losses.

In January 2011, the moment Rousseff took office, in the mountainous areas of Rio state due to heavy rains, causing widespread flooding and landslides, more than 900 people died and thousands of people suffered love.

Last August, President Rousseff announced a new disaster prevention program with investment of 18.8 billion real (over 9 billion USD) until 2014, to minimize the impact of natural disasters in the big country. most of this Latin America.