Search continues for missing in landslide in São Gonçalo

Rio de Janeiro firefighters continue their search for Alan Santiago Cabral, 45, Rosilene Pereira Santiago, 34, and Maitê Santiago Pereira, 4, who are missing in the rubble of a house hit by a landslide early Tuesday morning. -feira (14), in São Gonçalo, in the metropolitan region. The tragedy, in the neighborhood of Engenho Pequeno, was the result of a storm that hit the city and accumulated more than 200 millimeters (mm) of water in just over an hour. The rescue action has already lasted 40 hours. Close to the house, relatives of the disappeared apprehensively followed the action of the firefighters and volunteers who went to the place to help with the search. During the early morning, work had to be interrupted because the rain returned and there was a risk of new landslides. The Municipality of São Gonçalo, which declared an emergency situation in the municipality, determined yesterday the provisional removal of 43 families living in the area close to the site of the landslide. They are receiving guidance from the Municipal Secretary of Social Assistance and being taken to support points until the situation is normalized. “Due to the risk of new landslides at Engenho Pequeno, the DRM [Departamento de Recursos Minerais do Rio de Janeiro] and the Civil Defense decided to evacuate the area for 96 hours until a new assessment of the scenario is possible,” he said. The municipal government also announced the granting of Temporary Housing Aid in the amount of R$ 600 to families that were displaced as a result of the rain. The aid can be paid for a period of up to 12 months. “In the case of people who live on rent, the benefit will be granted for three months”, he added. Petrópolis In Petrópolis, where today marks one year since the landslides that killed 241 people, the rain continues to cause inconvenience. The Civil Defense recorded 14 occurrences and continues to monitor them. If necessary, it will issue alerts to the population. The city in the mountain region is still in the attention stage, and the forecast is for cloudy to partly cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain showers in the afternoon and evening. The Civil Defense recommendation is that the population avoid flooded areas and be aware of signs of landslides. In case of emergency, call 199. Teresópolis Still in the mountain region, an 18-year-old girl died after being carried away by the current, on the border between the Vale Alpino and Gamboa neighborhoods. The heavy rain last night caused problems especially in the rural area of ​​the municipality, with landslides and falling trees. “The intense flow of water caused the flooding of some residences”, informed the city hall, adding that Civil Defense teams are still carrying out technical inspections in the region to update the occurrences and offer assistance to the people affected. For today, the forecast is for moderate to heavy rain towards the end of the day. The municipality is still in the attention stage. The city hall advised the population to be attentive to the alerts sent by SMS, in addition to the sirens. “In case of emergency, contact via WhatsApp (21) 2742-7025”, he added.

Agência Brasil