Bodies of 2 more burial victims found in São Gonçalo

After 53 hours of uninterrupted work, firefighters rescued the bodies of Alan Santiago Cabral, 45 years old, and Maitê Santiago Pereira, 4 years old, at dawn this Thursday (16th), victims of the collapse of part of the house where they lived on the street Adelino Ferreira Brasil, in the neighborhood of Engenho Pequeno, in São Gonçalo, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Yesterday afternoon (15), firefighters had already found the body of Rosilene Pereira Santiago, 34 years old, under the rubble. The couple and their daughter had been missing since the early hours of Tuesday (14), when searches began at the site. The landslide occurred as a result of a storm, on the night of last Monday (13). “According to reports, father, mother and daughter would have been surprised by the mud and were unable to leave the property”, reported the Military Fire Brigade of the State of Rio de Janeiro (CBMERJ). The search work involved around 60 military personnel, including specialists in disaster rescue and collapsed structures. There was also the support of sniffer dogs and drones. With these confirmed deaths, the number of victims who lost their lives due to the rain at the beginning of the week rose to four. In another landslide in the same neighborhood, a woman was found dead on Rua Antônio Félix da Silva. Still in Engenho Pequeno, two people were rescued, alive, from the rubble of a house that collapsed on Rua Aideia Barreto Couto. Two other victims were removed, alive, by the military on Travessa Otávio de Andrade, in the Zumbi neighborhood, the corporation said. Carnival Due to this week’s occurrences, the City Hall decided to postpone the 2023 Carnival festivities and suspended the events scheduled for the next few days. “The presentations of local artists and samba schools in the city, which would be held from next Saturday (18) to Tuesday (21), in seven neighborhoods, are suspended”, he informed. Mayor Captain Nelson said that the measure was taken out of respect and in solidarity with the families that have been affected by the rains of recent days, considered the biggest of all times in the city. “We decided to postpone Carnival. I put myself in these people’s shoes and I know it’s not easy. This is not the right time to party,” he said. According to the city hall, a new date for the festivities will be released soon. The priority, according to the mayor, is the recovery of the municipality, with assistance to families and cleaning and maintenance work in the city. Captain Nelson recalled that the concern has not ended because more rain is still forecast. “We continue to work uninterruptedly so that, soon, we will have everything recovered and be able to continue our normal lives”, he said.

Agência Brasil