Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The number of fatalities due to the landslides and floods in Petropolis, in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, has increased 130. As per the report from the local Civil Defense agency stated that the number of people reported missing has almost doubled to over 200, since heavy rains on Tuesday caused rivers to overflow, triggering the massive landslides that destroyed many homes.
President Jair Bolsonaro, who took an aerial survey of the disaster-hit area stated that it looked like a “war scene”, and ordered relevant authorities to take a series of measures. Firefighters informed that it was still possible to rescue people alive four days after the disaster, though weather conditions slowed rescue efforts by making it difficult to use heavy machinery to move earth and rubble.
The Brazilian government is expected to release some 500 million reais ($95 million) in emergency relief for the affected area.
