Petrópolis has 189 killed, 89 missing after downpours
The death toll following the storms that assailed the city of Petrópolis, in the highland region north of Rio de Janeiro, now stands at 198. Reported among fatalities were 119 women and 79 men. Of these, 37 are under age.
By 7:40 am today (Feb. 23), 181 victims had been identified, 170 had been released for funeral homes, and the rest await family members to report at the morgue.
The police experts are also testing body fragments for their DNA. Thus far, 69 missing individuals have been reported.
Today is the ninth day of operations by the firefighters, who are locating the missing and repairing areas damaged by the rains, which have poured since last Tuesday and forced people to stop working on several occasions.
The meteorological monitoring at the Civil Defense is being conducted full time. More showers are expected this evening and at night.
Assistance
Up to now, nearly 1.8 thousand incidents have been reported across the city, especially the neighborhoods in the Primeiro Distrito area, which are the most severely affected by the storms. Most cases are landslides.
The 13 stations controlled by the city have sheltered 811 people. In addition to welcoming those forced out of their homes, the Social Work Secretariat provides assistance to people living in vulnerable spots.
