Brazil Faces Extreme Weather Anomalies... At Least 13 Dead Due to Heatwaves and Heavy Rainfall

Child Buried in Dirt Mound Rescued After 16 Hours

Record-breaking heatwaves and heavy rains have struck southeastern Brazil, resulting in at least 13 deaths.

On the 23rd (local time), a resident is cautiously walking through a village devastated by heavy rain and landslides in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to local media such as Brazil's G1 and Folha de S.Paulo on the 23rd (local time), the states of Rio de Janeiro, Esp?rito Santo, and S?o Paulo experienced heavy rains accompanied by thunder, lightning, and strong winds the previous day, causing landslides and road flooding in various areas. Brazilian authorities reported that the number of displaced people has surged, especially in mountainous villages, with 13 fatalities confirmed so far.

In the Lagos area, a street vendor was struck by lightning, collapsed, and later died while receiving treatment at a hospital. In Santa Cruz, a truck was swept away by overflowing river waters, resulting in the driver's death. In the Petr?polis area, a house collapsed, killing an entire family inside at once.

Among them, a 4-year-old girl buried in a mound of mud was miraculously rescued. Brazilian rescue authorities explained, "It appears the girl survived because her father shielded her with his own body." The girl's father was found deceased.

Authorities stated that by the morning of the same day, rescue dogs had been deployed to save about 100 people from the landslide-affected areas.

According to Brazil's meteorological agency, Petr?polis recorded nearly 300mm of rainfall in just one day. This amount is more than double the region's average March rainfall (140mm). Earlier, Rio de Janeiro experienced a heatwave last week, with a perceived temperature reaching 62 degrees Celsius in Guaraciaba.

Meanwhile, neighboring Uruguay is also facing consecutive floods. In Florida, north of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, nearly ten days of continuous rain caused the Santa Luc?a River surrounding the city to overflow. As a result, about 2,000 residents from riverside villages moved to evacuation shelters.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.