Death toll from flooding and mudslides in Brazil hits 506

[News_Editor]

Death toll from flooding and mudslides in Brazil hits 506

2011-01-14 10:56:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (BNO NEWS) --The number of fatalities as a result of flooding and mudslides in Brazil's southeastern mountainous region have reached 506, according to the latest report by Brazil's Institute of Legal Medicine on early Friday.

The most affected areas include Teresopolis, Nova Friburgo, Sink, and Petropolis, but local authorities are fearing the death toll could again rise, underlining that the number of deaths include only those bodies already found, Brazil's O Globo reported.

In Nova Friburgo, 225 bodies were found, including three firefighters, while in Teresopolis, a similar death toll of 223 was reported. Meanwhile, in Petropolis and Sink, 39 and 19 bodies have been found, respectively.

On Thursday morning, Brazil's Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo said 250 members of the National Forces - including policemen, firefighters, and disaster experts - will arrive in the region to join the rescue and relief efforts.

Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff also visited the affected region in Rio de Janeiro one day after announcing that the government would be releasing 780 million reis ($465 million) for rescue and recovery funds in the affected regions, which include Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Rouseff has promised aid as around 14,000 people have lost their homes.

Meanwhile, two trucks loaded with medicine arrived in Teresopolis where the head of the health care team, Dr. Claudia Miguel Coelho, said that most patients had small traumas as they were principally giving tetanus toxoid vaccines.

With heavy rainfall continuing to affect the region, officials have expressed fear of a rapid death toll increase after identifying several towns, such as Bom Jardim, that have been isolated because roadways and bridges have been cut off.

And while flooding and mudslides continue to worsen the region's greatest disaster in its history, critics say that better communication between the State Civil Defense and the 92 affected municipalities could have saved hundreds of lives. On Tuesday, hours before the heavy rain began to fall in the region, the National Institute of Meteorology had issued a warning bulletin regarding the harsh weather.

Furthermore, officials have blamed lax government safety measures regarding the construction of houses on steep slopes for the high number of victims.

According to weather reports, affected regions received over 10 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, but forecasts indicate that the rains will continue in the upcoming days and into the weekend.

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