Brazil Lives the Worst Natural Disaster in its History

Brasilia, Jan 15. -The 506 deaths reported so far in the mountain region of this state is the worst natural disaster in Brazil history, higher than the one that in 1967 caused 436 deaths in Sao Paulo.

  Nova Friburgo, Teresópolis, Petrópolis and Semidouro live a real tragedy and the number of deaths is only preliminary, as unofficial balances calculate over 600 people killed by landslides caused by heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Data from aid agencies and local authorities confirmed 225 deaths in Nova Friburgo, 223 in Teresópolis, 39 in Petrópolis, and 19 in Semidouro, all municipalities in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro, where rescuers continue to search dead bodies and possible people still living underground.

Hence we can say that this is the worst natural disaster in Brazil, as it surpasses the, so far considered, worse tragedy when 436 people died in the city of Caraguatatuba, on the northern coast of Sao Paulo.

Between December 2009 and April 2010, Rio de Janeiro reported the death of 283 people due to heavy rains, with a landslide in the Morro do Bumba, in Niteroi, where 166 people perished.

Also in this state, but on January 2, 1966 a storm caused 250 deaths and 50,000 victims. The list of the mortal natural events had another event in Rio de Janeiro, by 2002, when a landslide in the mountain region caused 88 deaths.

In 2008, heavy rainfalls led to the overflowing of rivers Itajaí-Azu and Itajaí-Mirim in the state of Santa Catarina, with a tragic toll of 135 dead. Landslides and floodings caused 78 deaths in Sao Paulo from December 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010.

In the floods in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas, in June last year, 53 people died, and in a similar situation 29 people perished in the North and Northeast in April 2009. (Prensa Latina)