Tornado kills six, injures 750 as it wrecks southern Brazil town

AFP/APP

Rio Bonito Do Iguacu: A tornado killed at least six people and injured around 750 as it destroyed most of a town in southern Brazil, authorities said Saturday.

The twister struck Friday evening, flipping cars like toys and wrecking buildings in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, a town of 14,000 people in Parana state, officials said.

The storm lasted only a few minutes but hit with ferocious winds swirling at up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour). Aerial photos showed the town largely obliterated, with wrecked buildings and debris scattered everywhere.

On Saturday, traumatized residents sifted through the rubble of their homes, trying to salvage whatever belongings they could.

Nereu Sabadini, who was working outside of town when the tornado hit, said he returned to find his home completely destroyed.

“I arrived home and found myself without a roof over my head,” the 51-year-old told AFP. “I’m homeless, and rebuilding will take some time.”

Authorities said 90 percent of the town suffered damage.

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“It destroyed everything. It destroyed the town, houses, schools. What will become of us?” said Roselei Dalcandon, standing beside the pile of rubble that used to be her shop.

The Parana state government confirmed that at least six people were killed. Firefighters and medical personnel treated around 750 injured, including nine seriously hurt. One person remained missing, but officials warned the number could rise as rescue operations continued.

Rescue teams continued to search through piles of debris looking for survivors or victims. A temporary shelter was set up in a nearby town to accommodate those displaced.

“It is a war scene,” said Fernando Schunig, head of the Parana Civil Defense agency, in remarks to the news outlet G1.

He said the likelihood of more fatalities was high because the tornado hit the center of the town.

“When these events hit an urban area, the damage is major. It is very lethal,” Schunig said.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with those affected and said a team of ministers and disaster relief experts was being sent to the area.

An alert for dangerous storms remained in effect across Parana, as well as the neighboring states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, according to weather authorities.

Other cities in Parana and neighboring regions were also hit by strong winds, hail, and heavy storms as part of a violent weather system sweeping through southern Brazil.

Last year, southern Brazil suffered severe flooding that left more than 200 people dead and two million displaced in the state of Rio Grande do Sul — one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s recent history. Experts say global warming played a significant role in those floods.