05/03/2024 – 19:38
With more than 8,000 rescued by boat, helicopter and trucks, there are still people isolated in different locations in Rio Grande do Sul after the extreme rain recorded in recent days. In a press conference, Civil Defense declared that the priority will be to reach those who are isolated and have been without food and water for more than 72 hours.
The approximately 170 blockages are among the greatest difficulties in accessing several locations, especially in the central region, in the Vales Region and in Serra Gaúcha. “There is still a lot of damage, difficulty in accessing it and people to rescue,” said governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB). With the soil soaked, areas are also at risk of landslides, but the State assesses that better weather conditions will allow greater access to the population from Saturday, the 4th.
One of the most important rescues this Friday, the 3rd, was at the Ponte Ernesto Dornelles (“Ponte dos Arcos”), which connects Veranópolis and Bento Gonçalves, in Serra Gaúcha.
As the governor mentioned at the press conference, residents waited for rescue by helicopter for more than a day, some with injuries and open fractures. A landslide had affected the surrounding area, which even generated calls for help on social media.
There is concern about Greater Porto Alegre – with the increase in the level of Lake Guaíba, the Gravataí River and the Rio dos Sinos -, in addition to the surroundings of Lagoa dos Patos (in cities such as Rio Grande, in the south of the State, which receive the waters of the metropolitan region) and municipalities in the Uruguay River basin, on the border, where the rain is heaviest. Leite acknowledged the fear that the flood protection systems in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul would not be able to withstand the volume of water.
The 6 pm balance shows 39 deaths and 68 missing, but the governor warned that the amount will possibly increase. “These numbers could rise substantially over the next few days, as we are able to access the locations and identify other lives lost,” he said at a press conference on the afternoon of this Friday, 3rd, in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. .
“It is the worst disaster ever recorded in the history of Rio Grande do Sul and perhaps one of the worst in the country’s recent history”, described Leite. In total, at least 265 municipalities and 351,600 people were affected.
State Coordinator of Protection and Civil Defense, Colonel Luciano Chaves Boeira said that one of the main focuses is to bring humanitarian aid to the most impacted regions this weekend. “There are people who are already at the limit: we probably have people who have been without access to food or water for 72 hours, perhaps more hours”, he reported.
At the press conference, thanks were also given for the assistance offered by other States and the government of Uruguay. Civil Defense has asked that food donations not be sent to Rio Grande do Sul at this time, as there are supplies for initial care and, mainly, logistical difficulties for distribution for now. The priority is to receive mattresses, bed linen and pillows.
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