sao paulo
CNN Brazil
—
A devastating tornado has ripped through Brazil’s southern state, killing six people and injuring at least 750, local authorities said.
Paraná state governor Racinho Junior called the tornado a “disaster without precedent in history” for the state.
Wind speeds may have exceeded 250 km/h in the devastated town of Rio Bonito do Iguacu, according to Simepal, the state’s weather bureau. According to the state government, the tornado affected about 90% of residential and commercial buildings in the municipality.
“It’s unlikely that residential buildings or even commercial buildings will survive. We saw silos collapsed, gas stations collapsed,” the governor said.
Aerial footage showed the destruction caused by the twister, with roofs ripped off buildings and some reduced to rubble.
The six people who died in Rio Bonito do Iguacu include three men aged 49, 57 and 83, and two women aged 47 and 14. Another 53-year-old man was killed in the nearby city of Guarapuaba. One person remains missing.
Rescuers are still receiving information from families and the number could rise further. Information on homelessness and displaced persons is also continuing to be collected, according to the latest information from the government.
A state of “official disaster” was declared in the state, allowing the government to take emergency measures, mobilize resources and request federal assistance.
Brazilian weather forecaster Climatempo reported that the cyclone was associated with a cold front that could bring wind gusts of over 100 km/h in states such as Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. According to forecasts, the phenomenon will move across the ocean until Sunday, also affecting the coasts of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.
Authorities are reminding the public to avoid open areas and be careful of structures, trees and power lines due to the risk of falls and accidents.
