A tornado accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing six people, the state government said on Saturday.
The town of Rio Bonito do Iguacu was hit hardest late on Friday, with the state’s civil defence agency reporting more than half the urban area suffered roof collapses and structural failures. Roads were blocked and power lines damaged.
Authorities said 437 people were treated for injuries and about 1,000 were displaced. The nearby city of Guarapuava was also affected.
According to the Parana meteorology and environmental monitoring system, the tornado’s winds reached speeds between 180km/h and 250km/h.
Institutional relations minister Gleisi Hoffmann said she would travel to the area on Saturday with acting health minister Adriano Massuda and other federal officials to support relief efforts and reconstruction.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X, expressing condolences to the victims’ families: “We will continue to assist the people of Parana and provide all the help needed.”
Reuters
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