Flooding hits Rio de Janeiro, several people killed

Digital Originals

Photo: Lucrecia Franco

Residents in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s second-largest city, awoke Tuesday to a world of water as torrential rains and flash flooding hit several neighborhoods, flooded streets, and swept away cars and busses.

Rio Mayor Marcelle Crivella said there were at least 10 flooding-related deaths.

The government issued a state of emergency, schools were closed, and people were told to stay home.

According to city officials, in just four hours, the volume of rain that fell Monday, was 70 percent higher than what was expected for the entire month of April.

Whole neighborhoods were left without electricity or phone connections.

Videos circulating on social media showed shocking images of the damage at the city’s iconic neighborhoods, such a as Copacabana and Ipanema.

Some residents blamed the city’s infrastructure for the tragedies.

This was the second flood in two months, torrential rain led to six deaths in Rio in February.

Landslides and floods are not uncommon in Brazil. The deadliest took place in 2011 when hillsides collapsed in the mountainous region near Rio de Janeiro, killing almost 1,000 people.