Mudslides kill at least 350 people in Brazil
Source: Agencies |
January 14, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WALLS of earth and water swept away homes in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro, wiping out families and leaving survivors scrambling yesterday to reach still-trapped neighbors.
At least 350 people died in three towns after mudslides hit at about 3am on Wednesday, and 50 or more were still missing, according to officials and reliable local news reports.
"We were like zombies, covered in mud, in the dark, digging" after the slides hit, said Geisa Carvalho.
A tremendous rumble awoke Geisa and her mother Vania Ramos as tons of earth slid down a sheer granite rock face onto their neighborhood. The power was out, but by lightning flashes they could see a torrent of mud and water rushing just a few meters from their home - and the -remnants of their neighbors' houses that were swept far down a hill.
"I don't even have the words to describe what I've seen," said Ramos, during an 8-kilometer hike to the main part of her town in search of food and water. "A lot of our friends are dead or missing."
Carvalho and Ramos said they ran out of their home moments after the mudslide and joined neighbors in digging for survivors with bare hands and sticks. They quickly located a family of four who had died under the rubble of their home - and said another neighbor's two-month-old baby was washed away in his crib and has yet to be found.
Only a few rescuers had managed to hike to Caleme late yesterday and they only had shovels and machetes - not the heavier equipment that may be needed to hunt for survivors. Residents said they had no food, water or medication, and many made the long walk for help to the center of Teresopolis, about 65 kilometers north of Rio.
Such disasters hit Brazil annually in its rainy summer season and punish the poor, who often live in rickety shacks perched on steep hillsides with little or no foundations.
Rio state's Civil Defense department reported that 152 people were killed in Teresopolis and 36 in neighboring Petropolis. The Globo TV network, citing the mayor's office of Nova Friburgo, said 168 people were killed in that town. The Civil Defense department earlier said 107 were dead there - officials were not immediately available to confirm the new figure.
Morgues in the cities were full and bodies covered in blankets were laid in streets.
Officials said the area hit by slides had seen 26 centimeters of rain in less than 24 hours. More rain, possibly heavy at times, is forecast to fall through the weekend.
At least 350 people died in three towns after mudslides hit at about 3am on Wednesday, and 50 or more were still missing, according to officials and reliable local news reports.
"We were like zombies, covered in mud, in the dark, digging" after the slides hit, said Geisa Carvalho.
A tremendous rumble awoke Geisa and her mother Vania Ramos as tons of earth slid down a sheer granite rock face onto their neighborhood. The power was out, but by lightning flashes they could see a torrent of mud and water rushing just a few meters from their home - and the -remnants of their neighbors' houses that were swept far down a hill.
"I don't even have the words to describe what I've seen," said Ramos, during an 8-kilometer hike to the main part of her town in search of food and water. "A lot of our friends are dead or missing."
Carvalho and Ramos said they ran out of their home moments after the mudslide and joined neighbors in digging for survivors with bare hands and sticks. They quickly located a family of four who had died under the rubble of their home - and said another neighbor's two-month-old baby was washed away in his crib and has yet to be found.
Only a few rescuers had managed to hike to Caleme late yesterday and they only had shovels and machetes - not the heavier equipment that may be needed to hunt for survivors. Residents said they had no food, water or medication, and many made the long walk for help to the center of Teresopolis, about 65 kilometers north of Rio.
Such disasters hit Brazil annually in its rainy summer season and punish the poor, who often live in rickety shacks perched on steep hillsides with little or no foundations.
Rio state's Civil Defense department reported that 152 people were killed in Teresopolis and 36 in neighboring Petropolis. The Globo TV network, citing the mayor's office of Nova Friburgo, said 168 people were killed in that town. The Civil Defense department earlier said 107 were dead there - officials were not immediately available to confirm the new figure.
Morgues in the cities were full and bodies covered in blankets were laid in streets.
Officials said the area hit by slides had seen 26 centimeters of rain in less than 24 hours. More rain, possibly heavy at times, is forecast to fall through the weekend.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
