Mudslides and floods kill at least 117 in Brazil's Petropolis

Agencies | Brasilia

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The death toll from mudslides and floods in Brazil's colonial-era city of Petropolis rose to 117 on Thursday and was expected to increase further as the region reels from the heaviest rains in almost a century, said Reuters.

Heavy downpours in the afternoon, when the city recorded some 6 cm (2.36 inches) of rain, caused even more soil instability and disrupted efforts to find survivors and clean up the debris. Up to 4 cm of rain is expected overnight in the region, according to meteorologists.

More than 700 people had to leave their homes and take shelter in local schools and other makeshift accommodations. Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro on Wednesday compared the damage to a war zone.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has promised to visit the region upon his return from an official trip to Russia and Hungary, has pledged federal assistance to help the population and start rebuilding the area.

In light of the disaster, Brazil's Economy Ministry responded by approving tax breaks for both Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo, where the downpours also caused damage.

 Since December, heavy rains have triggered deadly floods and landslides across much of Brazil, threatening to delay harvests and briefly forcing the suspension of mining operations in the state of Minas Gerais, just north of Rio.