At least 11 people have died and one remains missing as a result of the strong storm that hit the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro and its metropolitan region in the early hours of Sunday, which has also left a good number of streets flooded, according to authorities. local. The storm forced important entrance roads to the country's second largest city, such as Avenida Brasil, to be cut for hours, and to close some metro and bus stops, mainly in the northern area.
The authorities also ordered the closure of parks and the rehearsals of the samba schools that are already preparing for the carnival, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors in just one month, were canceled. The floods also left a northern hospital without power, according to emergency services. The governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, regretted the deaths and said he was working “tirelessly” to avoid further losses.
Although the storm has already subsided and, according to the forecasts, only light rain is expected for the remainder of Sunday, the city council recommended that citizens avoid traveling and stay in a safe place. “Do not force yourself to try to pass through flooded areas; “They are putting their lives at risk,” warned the city's mayor, Eduardo Paes. In September, torrential rains caused by a cyclone left 22 dead in southern Brazil. In Brazil, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and deadly. In 2022, nearly a hundred people died from extremely heavy rainfall in Petrópolis, the former imperial capital, in a mountain area near Rio de Janeiro.
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