Floods kill dozens in ‘Imperial City’

Nearly 100 people have died in the historic city of Petropolis, Brazil after heavy rains triggered flooding and mudslides, officials said on Wednesday. Search and rescue teams are still on the lookout for survivors. 

Brazil's National Civil Defense agency said on Twitter that 24 people had been rescued alive from the wreckage of Petropolis – a historic summer getaway of Brazil’s 19th century monarchs known as the “Imperial City,” situated in the hills above Rio de Janeiro. 

Videos shared on social media showed extensive damage and vehicles floating in the streets. The city’s elegant streets and Germanic architecture were all but destroyed by the flooding, with scant evidence of its regal charm remaining.  

“The situation is almost like war... Cars hanging from poles, cars overturned, lots of mud and water still,” Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro told journalists.

In the neighborhood of Morro da Oficina, around 80 houses were hit by landslides, causing widespread devastation. 

City hall has declared three days of mourning. In addition to the fatalities, more than 300 people have been forced to leave their homes. Displaced citizens were taken to schools and shelters. 

The city saw more rainfall on Tuesday than the average for the entire month of February. 

President Jair Bolsonaro took to Twitter to ask his ministers to manage the situation as he traveled to Russia. He told reporters in Moscow that federal funds would be released to help “restore traffic in the region.”

Brazil has been hit by heavy rains and flooding since December, threatening to delay harvests and briefly suspending mining operations.