Brazil Landslide Disaster: Death Toll Reaches 217, With Many Still Missing

The death toll from the landslide incident in the mountain city of Petropolis in Brazil kept on rising, reaching more than 210, with many still missing.

As Brazilian authorities continued to search and recover bodies more than a week after the torrential rain, police said on Friday that a total of 217 bodies had already been recovered on the rubbles, while 33 people remain missing, Al Jazeera reported.

Officials from the South American country further noted that children were among the victims of floods and mudslides that swept through the picturesque tourist city north of Rio de Janeiro on February 15. The latest figures revealed that 42 children were among those killed.

Officials in Brazil also faced several challenges as they acknowledged that identifying the victims through fingerprints is difficult, CGTN reported.

Authorities then noted that DNA analysis might be a better solution in identifying the victims to inform their family members.

After the floods and landslides, Petropolis had a complete power failure, but the power was "partially restored."

According to Al Jazeera, hundreds of people remain displaced. As of Friday, nearly 900 Petropolis residents remain in emergency shelters.

Brazil Landslide: USAID to Give Financial Aid and State Government to Provide Help to Businesses

After the city of Petropolis experienced a tragic landslide, displaced families started to fill out requests for financial aid.

Reports noted that each family is expected to receive about $195 per month to find new housing. However, it was unclear where the money would be coming from.

On Thursday, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will be sending $100,000 in "immediate humanitarian assistance" to support residents affected by severe flooding and landslides.

"This funding will support USAID partner the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to provide critically needed relief supplies such as cleaning supplies and hygiene kits... to help landslide-affected families meet urgent needs," the USAID said.

The agency added that their disaster experts in Brazil and Washington, D.C. were closely monitoring the situation, together with humanitarian partners and the U.S. Embassy.

According to reports, donations from all over Brazil were also coming into the city to help the residents. Businesses in Petropolis were also affected.

On Friday, the Rio de Janeiro state government announced that it would release $30 million for emergency repairs and another $40 million to support the businesses affected in the city.

Brazil Landslide Disaster

A month's worth of rain dumped in a few hours turned the streets of Petropolis into violent rivers, with the water taking cars, trees, and soil along with it.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who went to Petropolis last week, compared the destruction to an aftermath of a war.

Rescue workers and volunteers on Thursday continued to dig through mountains of mud and rubble to locate more bodies.

There was reportedly bitter anger for many residents in Alto da Serra over the tragedy and the length of the time it takes for official rescue operations to locate the missing persons.

On Sunday, Pope Francis conveyed his condolences and prayed for the repose of the deceased following his Angelus prayer at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican.

The Pope expressed his solidarity with those affected by natural disasters recently, mentioning Petropolis and Madagascar, ravaged by a series of cyclones.

"May the Lord receive the victims in his peace, console their relatives and support those who come to their aid," the Pope said.

In the past three months, at least 236 individuals have died in severe storms in Brazil. According to experts, climate change increases the frequency and intensifies extreme rainfall.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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