São Paulo – Ten people died in the heavy rain that came over the town of Itaoca, in the southeast of São Paulo state, on Sunday (Jan. 12). According to the emergency service, firemen aided by sniffer dogs are searching for 12 missing people.
As the Palmital river overflowed, dozens of families were forced to leave their homes, and in neighboring Apiaí, 50 houses were damaged.
Entire families were reported missing in Itaoca's most severely impacted district, Guarda-Mão.
“In some locations, only the foundations of the houses were left. We fear the missing persons to have been trapped in the rubble,” Agriculture Secretary Erli Rodrigues said in a telephone interview. “It's a small town, resources are scarce. We didn't know what to do or where to start,” he went on.
Governor Geraldo Alckmin inspected the city on Monday (Jan. 13) and announced that a task force was set up in the region. Five rescue vehicles and at least 40 men were mobilized to assist and search for the missing people.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Severe rain leaves 10 dead in São Paulo state
