General

Brazil’s Senate creates commission to monitor situation in Petrópolis

Group to propose public policies to avoid similar disasters

Marcelo Brandão - Repórter da Agência Brasil

Published on 17/02/2022 - 22:19

- Updated on 18/02/2022 - 11:23

Brasília

Bombeiros, moradores e voluntários trabalham no local do deslizamento no Morro da Oficina, após a chuva que castigou Petrópolis, na região serrana fluminense — © Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil

The Brazilian Senate has decided to send a commission to Petrópolis - Rio de Janeiro state - to monitor the tragedy occurred in the city. Landslides and floods caused by heavy rains have recently hit the region. The request to create a Temporary External Commission was proposed by Senator Wellington Fagundes (PL-MT) and approved on Thursday (Feb. 17).

120 deaths have been confirmed so far and the Civil Police has registered over 700 missing persons. Senator Fagundes noted it is important that the government makes resources available to Petrópolis. He also reiterated the need of introducing a policy to prevent other similar tragedies.

After monitoring the situation in Petrópolis the commission shall propose public policies to help the local population. According to the government of Rio de Janeiro, it was the heaviest rain in the city since 1932. The mountain region where the city is located had seen other catastrophes in recent decades. In 1988 and 2011, storms killed many people.

This time, one of the most impacted areas was Morro da Oficina where a large landslide close to the historic center destroyed about 80 houses.