A severe tornado, accompanied by powerful winds and heavy rainfall, struck the southern region of Parana in Brazil, resulting in the tragic loss of six lives, as reported by the state government over the weekend. Rio Bonito do Iguaçu bore the brunt of the disaster late on Friday, with more than half of the town’s urban area experiencing roof collapses and structural damage, while roads were impassable and power lines were disrupted. The state’s civil defence agency indicated that 437 individuals received medical treatment, and approximately 1,000 residents were forced to evacuate. The nearby city of Guarapuava also faced the impact of the tornado.
The Parana Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring System disclosed that the tornado’s winds reached speeds ranging between 180 km/h and 250 km/h. In response to the crisis, Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann announced plans to visit the affected area on Saturday, accompanied by acting Health Minister Adriano Massuda and other federal officials, to provide assistance for relief operations and reconstruction efforts. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences to the families of the victims on social media platform X, pledging ongoing support to the people of Parana.
Aerial images captured the devastation in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Brazil, following the tornado, illustrating the magnitude of the destruction caused by the natural disaster.