The damage caused by the heavy rain that hit the city of Petrópolis, this Tuesday (15), has gained projection in the international news. Foreign media outlets from various parts of the world are reporting the tragedy in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, which has already recorded more than 100 deaths.
In the United States, the traditional The New York Times defined the moment as “the worst natural disaster in the history of Brazil”. The newspaper highlighted the rescue work carried out by firefighters and the desperation of civilians in the search for victims, and also recalled the drama experienced by Petropolitans a decade ago: “For many residents of Petrópolis, the disaster was a painful memory of 2011, when landslides similar ones killed more than 900 people in the region”.
The Argentine neighbor, Clarín, highlighted the speech of the governor of Rio, Cláudio Castro, comparing the situation to a panorama of “almost war” and described the videos of the incident that circulate on social networks as “images of horror”.
In Europe, the British network BBC News wrote that “after a month of rain fell on the city in just three hours – the heaviest rain since 1932, according to Governor Castro – much of its real charm was in ruins, with houses and shops destroyed by the flood”. The Guardian, also from the UK, called the episode “devastating floods”.
Le Monde, from France, mentioned the situation of public calamity decreed by Mayor Rubens Bomtempo and recalled the cultural and tourist importance of the region for Brazil. “Petrópolis, summer residence of the former imperial court, is a tourist destination that attracts a large number of visitors”, the newspaper pointed out.
In the Middle East, Qatar’s Al Jazeera channel drew attention to other floods that have plagued the country recently. “Southeast Brazil has been inundated by heavy rains since the beginning of the year, with more than 40 deaths recorded between incidents in the state of Minas Gerais in early January and in the state of São Paulo at the end of the same month,” he said.
The Asian South China Morning Post described the scenes of despair experienced by Petropolitans affected by the floods. “A video showed two buses sinking into a flooded river as their passengers climbed out of the windows, fighting for safety. Some didn’t make it to the banks and were washed away, out of sight,” the Hong Kong vehicle said.
See images of the impact of the rains in Petrópolis
Source: CNN Brasil