At least eight people have lost their lives as heavy rains swept across Brazil, authorities reported on Saturday. The storms have battered parts of the country following a severe drought that fueled a record wave of wildfires.
Since Friday, central and southeastern Brazil have been pounded by winds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour and daily rainfall amounts of up to 10 centimeters, according to the National Institute of Meteorology.
In São Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, seven fatalities were recorded, largely due to falling trees and collapsing walls caused by the violent winds and rain, as reported by the state civil defense agency.
Widespread blackouts struck large parts of São Paulo city, with energy company Enel stating that approximately 1.6 million homes and businesses remained without electricity.
In the capital city of Brasília, a soldier was killed and another injured when a tree fell as they were removing a flag in front of the military police headquarters, the local command confirmed.
Local media reported that officials inside the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil's lower house of Congress, had to use umbrellas indoors due to rainwater leaking from the roof.
Despite the chaos, many residents welcomed the downpours in Brasília after enduring a record-breaking stretch of more than 165 days without rain.
Brazil has recently experienced its worst drought since records began, which experts attribute to climate change. The dry conditions fueled fires across the vast nation, ravaging the Amazon rainforest, leaving jaguars with burn injuries in the Pantanal wetlands, and blanketing major cities with choking smoke.
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At least 8 dead as heavy rain thrashes Brazil after long drought
cgtn.com
