105 dead and 140 still missing in Rio de Janeiro landslides
February 18, 2022, 9:14 am

105 dead and 140 still missing in Rio de Janeiro landslides

Landslides in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state (File photo: CGTN)

The Xinhua reported, local authorities in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state said Thursday, the death toll rose to 105, with 140 people still missing, due to landslides and floods caused by heavy rains on Tuesday.

According to the Rio de Janeiro civil defense authorities, at least 400 firefighters are working with Army personnel to search for survivors, after a large part of Petropolis was destroyed by landslides and floods.

Heavy rains on Tuesday in the mountainous city, located about 68 km north of the city of Rio de Janeiro, triggered over 50 landslides.

More than 500 families were evacuated, while the power grid and drinking water supply were also affected.

Aerial photos of a deadly landslide after severe flooding in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in the hills above Rio de Janeiro, which killed at least 38 people. #Petropolis #Brazil #flood #flooding #floods #heavyrain #HeavyRains #tormenta #thunderstorm #rainfall #alluvione #lluvias #lluvia #chuvas #aluvión #weather
Posted by News/Incidents on Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Governor of Rio de Janeiro state Claudio Castro likened the conditions to a "war situation," while the Petropolis mayor's office decreed a state of public disaster and issued an alert to the population about the possibility of more downpours in the next 48 hours.

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Meanwhile, the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation indicated that the risks of new landslides were "very high," since the intense rains raised the level of moisture in the soil, which in turn generates the possibility of new large-scale precipitation.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.