Brazil rescue mission continues
BRAZIL: Brazilian army helicopters stepped up rescue and supply
operations Monday in areas hit by floods and landslides that have killed
at least 665 people, reaching residents who had been cut off from help
for five days.
One helicopter team rescued five people in the morning, the Air Force
said in a statement, as clearer weather allowed the aircraft to navigate
more safely around the craggy terrain north of Rio de Janeiro city.
Hundreds of people are believed to still be in areas at risk of fresh
mudslides, some of them cut off from help by smashed roads and bridges
while others refuse to leave for fear their houses will be raided by
looters. The army is operating four helicopters from a makeshift base on
the training ground for Brazil’s national soccer team in the town of
Teresopolis.
“It’s impossible to calculate how many people are still buried,” Vice
Governor of Rio de Janeiro Luis Fernando Pezao told Reuters. “Our
numbers are based on the coroner and the fire department but there are a
lot of people still buried.” Heavy rains last week sparked one of
Brazil’s worst natural disasters, sending an avalanche of mud, water and
rocks plowing through towns and villages in the scenic region. Poorer
residents who lived in precarious housing bore the brunt of the carnage.
The death toll has risen steadily as rescuers have dug bodies from
the wreckage.
Authorities have given no estimates of the number of missing, but
Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said on Monday that 120 people are
unaccounted for.
Some residents have complained over what they say has been a slow
response by authorities in getting basic supplies to isolated
communities and helping people dig out dead relatives and friends. A
fresh landslide on Sunday near the town of Petropolis killed three
people, media reported, highlighting the risks posed by rain forecast
for the region in the coming days.
Nova Friburgo, Tuesday, Reuters.
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