A tornado, accompanied by strong winds and heavy rainfall, struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, as announced by the state government on Saturday. The town of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu bore the brunt of the devastation late Friday, with over half of the urban area experiencing roof collapses and various structural failures, leading to blocked roads and damaged power lines. The state’s civil defence agency reported the severity of the situation.
In total, 437 individuals received medical treatment for injuries, and approximately 1,000 people were displaced, with the nearby city of Guarapuava also feeling the impact of the tornado. The Parana Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring System indicated that the tornado’s winds reached speeds ranging between 180 km/h and 250 km/h.
In support of relief efforts and rebuilding initiatives, Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann, along with acting Health Minister Adriano Massuda and other federal officials, planned to visit the affected area on Saturday. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences to the families of the victims on the social media platform X, affirming continued assistance to the people of Parana.
Image: Another perspective of the destroyed buildings in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Brazil, post the tornado.
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