Fatal floods in Brazil one month after deadly storms

Brasília, Mar 22: Fresh floods caused by torrential rains in Petropolis, Brazil have killed at least five people, authorities said on Monday.

A further four people have been reported missing since Sunday,

A month's worth of rain fell in a matter of hours on Sunday on the tourist town, emergency officials said.

The deluge caused damage to 100 homes, mostly due to landlides.

The flooding comes just over a month after a similar tragedy took 233 people's lives.

What is the situation in Petropolis?

Local residents posted videos of streets turned to torrential rivers that swept up everything in their path, including reportedly a series of crosses erected in memory of the victims of last month's floods and landslides.

"Emergency services have so far responded to more than 50 calls for landslides and rescues for stranded individuals," officials said in a statement.

Authorities also said 28 people had beenrescued and 20 emergency shelters had been set up to house more than 500 people.

Since the February disaster, 13 locations around Rio, including schools, churches and gymnasiums, have been sheltering about 650 people who were left homeless. and lost their belongings in the mud.

More rain, though less intense, had been forecast for Monday in Petropolis, which is prone to deadly landslides, especially in the poor hillside communities that ring the city sitting in the mountains.

In recent months, Brazil has been swept by a series of deadly storms which experts say are being worsened by climate change.

Source: DW