- Title: BRAZIL: Navy reaches communities cut off by landslides; many still missing
- Date: 20th January 2011
- Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
- Embargoed: 4th February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil, Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA5N8LNCN3UJ8DDFVPU8W9DN209
- Story Text: A week after rains sparked deadly floods and massive landslides in one of Brazil's worst natural disasters, many neighborhoods remained isolated and lacking basic supplies like water and food.
Across Rio de Janeiro's mountainous region, several communities were only reachable by air and emergency workers have been rushing to deliver aid to the dozens of trapped families.
Navy and Army helicopters have been flying over the area, distributing food supplies and medicines, and also airlifting survivors and bodies from remote areas that were cut off after bridges and roads were smashed.
On Wednesday (January 19), Navy Captain Andre Marcelo ran a mission to the isolated community of Centenario in the outskirts of the hardest-hit town of Nova Friburgo, where at least 345 people died.
Marcelo said the water supply hadn't been restored to the region yet.
"We are going to airlift aid, including food supplies, water, clothes and some personal hygiene objects too. We will land in Centenario neighborhood, near a district that is in need of water due to the lack of water supply in the region," he said.
At least 727 people have been killed by raging flood waters and avalanches of sodden earth that ripped homes from their foundations and buried entire neighborhoods in the picturesque mountain towns.
Authorities released on Wednesday the first official estimate on the number of missing people since the catastrophe struck a week ago.
At least 207 people are still missing, suggesting the final death toll could be close to 1,000.
Over 21,500 people lost all their belongings or were forced to abandon their houses, and have been lodged in makeshift shelters in churches, public schools and warehouses.
In Centenario, victims lined up near the Navy helicopter to receive bottles of water, milk and food supplies, like rice and beans.
"Thank you very much, thanks everyone; there has been a lot of suffering here. Many thanks to everyone who is helping," said a little boy.
Flood victim Janete Andrade said the community had been using rain water to survive.
"This aid is very important because we are out of water. We have been drinking dirty water for several days. There are 15 people in my home who have been made homeless," she said.
Fears of disease outbreaks have emerged and health authorities have distributed vaccines and warned the population against drinking or having contact with contaminated rain water.
Federal authorities also set two field hospitals and deployed hundreds of troops in the battered cities to help in the search for victims and to keep order after looters raided stores for food and scoured damaged homes for valuables.
The death toll has been rising daily as rescuers reach isolated areas and dig out more bodies from the wreckage of neighborhoods that were virtually wiped out following torrential rain in southeast Brazil.
The federal government vowed this week to set up a national early warning system that could alert communities to approaching natural dangers.
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff declared a three-day national mourning and pledged 780 million reais ($464 million dollars) in emergency aid for the area, to be used in rebuilding and relief efforts.
This week, Rousseff also met with World Bank officials who said they were working out the final details on a $485 million emergency loan to the state of Rio de Janeiro for the disaster hit areas. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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