Massive Mudslides Kill at Least 93 in Brazilian Tourist Hotspot
‘ALMOST LIKE WAR’
At least 93 people have been killed after mudslides swept away cars and houses in the popular Brazilian tourist city of Petropolis. It’s not clear how many people are still missing after the city was hit by torrential rain early on Tuesday—the mayor, Rubens Bomtempo, refused even to offer an estimate over 24 hours after the deluge began. “We don’t yet know the full scale of this,” said the mayor. “It was a hard day, a difficult day.” Videos posted on social media showed buses floating down streets and entire homes being swept away by the mud. “The situation is almost like war... Cars hanging from poles, cars overturned, lots of mud and water still,” Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro said Thursday. Reports said a month of rain fell within just three hours, destroying large parts of the city.