Authorities in the Brazilian state of Paraná declared this Saturday, November 8, a state of public calamity, after an unprecedented tornado caused at least six deaths, 750 injuries and devastated 90% of the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu.
The meteorological phenomenon recorded on Friday night, of unprecedented dimensions, with winds that reached 250 kilometers per hour, intense rain and hail, left around 10 thousand people homeless in 14 municipalities in Paraná, a state that borders Argentina, according to the EFE agency.
The most affected cities were Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, where five fatalities were recorded, and Guarapuava, with one death in the rural area.
Rescue teams continue to search for a person reported missing and other possible victims under the rubble of dozens of homes.
The state government set up a field hospital in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu to respond to the high demand for medical care and reported that ten of the injured are in serious condition and have been transferred to hospital units with greater capacity.
In the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, a city with around 13,500 inhabitants, where the tornado destroyed approximately 90% of the homes and buildings, three men, aged between 49 and 83, died, a 47-year-old woman and a 14-year-old teenager.
With demolished houses, trees and electricity poles uprooted and vehicles overturned by the force of the winds, the city was described as “a scene of war” by the deputy commander-general of the Paraná Fire Department, Jonas Emmanuel Benghi Pinto.
The state governor, Ratinho Junior, declared a state of public calamity in order to mobilize resources without restrictions and finance emergency measures.
The official also announced that, after the end of search and rescue operations, work on rebuilding the homes will begin.
Ratinho Junior, who visited the affected region, also decreed three days of official mourning in memory of the victims.