- N. Korean leader orders 'mass production' of suicide attack drones
- Italy and France lock up Nations League quarter-final spots
- Osimhen strike books Nigeria place at Africa Cup of Nations
- England ignore star absences to sink Greece
- Tonali shoots Italy past Belgium and into Nations League quarter-finals
- Policymakers defend Fed independence amid concerns about Trump era
- US stocks fall as traders weigh future Fed cuts, Trump moves
- Trump names vaccine skeptic RFK to head health dept
- Lebanon economic losses top $5 billion in year of clashes: World Bank
- Sinner cruises past Medvedev to complete perfect ATP Finals group stage
- Nicaragua's Ortega banishes leading Catholic bishop
- Rugby needs Wallaby 'superstar' Suaalii says Wales coach Gatland
- Unbeaten Chiefs visit Buffalo in NFL rivalry showdown
- Biden administration touts record drop in overdose deaths
- 'Proud' new World Rugby chief Robinson vows to unify the sport
- Fed Chair calls US the best-performing major economy in the world
- England boss fears new directive risks rugby turning into Aussie rules
- Brother of late Harrods owner also accused of sexual violence: BBC
- England captain Kane axed for Greece clash after blast at absentee stars
- French Senate rejects bill to ban under-16s from attending bullfights
- Borthwick adamant England focus still sharp as Springboks await
- New York to revive driver congestion charge plan, drawing Trump ire
- Martin calls on rival Bagnaia for advice ahead of MotoGP title showdown
- Philadelphia completes lineup for Johnson's Grand Slam meets
- 'Harness the now': British singer Imogen Heap embraces AI
- UN committee says Israel warfare in Gaza 'consistent with genocide'
- Italy wing Capuozzo to miss Georgia game with concussion
- Son hits 50th South Korea goal in World Cup win, Australia-Saudi stalemate
- Japan into BJK Cup quarter-finals for first time in 11 years
- MLB Rays to play 2025 season at Yankees facility in Tampa
- China's Xi arrives in Peru for APEC summit, Biden meeting
- British author says space inspired Booker Prize-winning novel
- Spain's Vanguardia daily to stop posting on 'disinformation network' X
- European watchdog partially approves new Alzheimer's drug
- Monitor says militants among 20 killed in Israel strikes on Syria
- New York to revive driver congestion charge plan
- Brazil probes Supreme Court bomb blasts as 'terrorist act'
- Sotheby's to pay $6.25 mln in tax fraud case
- McIlroy shares Dubai lead with Ballesteros mark in sight
- Lebanon army redeployment in south crucial to war solution: UN peacekeeping chief
- US stocks wobble as traders weigh future Fed cuts
- Trump fills out cabinet as divisive picks shock Washington
- Son hits 50th South Korea goal in win, Australia-Saudi stalemate
- BHP, Vale cleared by Brazil court over 2015 dam disaster
- Satirical US outlet The Onion buys conspiracy site Infowars
- Scotland must emulate Croatia's 'conveyor belt of talent': Clarke
- Legal migration to OECD reaches new record in 2023
- Robinson edges Benazzi to succeed Beaumont as head of World Rugby
- India's capital shuts all primary schools due to smog
- Central bank independence 'fundamental' for good policy: Fed official
RBGPF | -1.59% | 59.25 | $ | |
BCC | -1.57% | 140.35 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.24% | 24.55 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.02% | 24.725 | $ | |
RELX | -0.37% | 45.95 | $ | |
BCE | -1.38% | 26.84 | $ | |
GSK | -2.09% | 34.39 | $ | |
SCS | -0.75% | 13.27 | $ | |
RIO | -0.31% | 60.43 | $ | |
NGG | 0.4% | 62.37 | $ | |
JRI | -0.23% | 13.21 | $ | |
RYCEF | -4.71% | 6.79 | $ | |
BTI | 0.2% | 35.49 | $ | |
AZN | -0.38% | 65.04 | $ | |
VOD | -0.81% | 8.68 | $ | |
BP | 1.65% | 29.05 | $ |
Brazil rescuers save girl after storm kills at least 12
Search teams in southeastern Brazil rescued a girl buried for more than 16 hours in the rubble of a collapsed house following a powerful storm that has claimed at least a dozen lives.
Authorities have deployed teams to the mountainous areas of Rio de Janeiro state, describing the situation caused by the deluge there as "critical".
Four of the deaths in Rio state occurred when the storm caused a house to collapse in the city of Petropolis, 70 kilometers (45 miles) inland from the capital.
The girl's father, who was found dead next to her on Saturday morning, had "heroically protected the girl with his body," a neighbor told AFP.
"We are in pain, but grateful for this miracle," said Luis Claudio de Souza, 63.
The deluge came as Brazil, South America's largest country, suffers through a recent string of extreme weather events, which experts say are more likely to occur due to climate change.
At least eight people have been killed in the state of Rio de Janeiro, officials said, while the neighboring state of Espirito Santo has confirmed at least four dead and seven missing.
Such environmental tragedies "are intensifying with climate change," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, adding that thousands had been left homeless by the storm.
He expressed sympathy for the victims, and said his government was working with state and local authorities to "protect, prevent and repair flood damage."
Espirito Santo's governor Renato Casagrande said the situation in the town of Mimoso do Sul was "chaotic," with the number of fatalities there yet to be determined.
And in Sao Paolo state, two children were hospitalized for injuries sustained during the storm on Friday.
Rio Governor Claudio Castro on Friday said the situation in Petropolis was "critical" due to "intense rains and the overflowing of the Quitandinha River."
- Heatwave -
Dozens of soldiers with dogs were deployed to the scene in Rio state, while schools opened their doors to the displaced, Castro said.
Around 90 people have been rescued since Friday, according to a bulletin from an emergency committee comprising Rio government and civil defense officials.
Images on local media showed rivers of water, mud and debris rushing down slopes in picturesque Petropolis, which in February 2022 saw at least 241 deaths from another catastrophic storm.
In Mimoso do Sul, a fire truck was seen being dragged down a street by currents, while images released Saturday by the state fire department showed entire neighborhoods under water, with only the roofs of houses visible.
Forecasts predicted heavy rainfall continuing Saturday in the mountains and north of Rio.
Petropolis has already recorded 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in 24 hours, while other cities, such as Teresopolis and Mage, added more than 22 cm, according to official estimates.
The National Institute of Meteorology had predicted a severe storm, particularly in Rio, with rainfall of 20 cm a day from Friday through Sunday. Normally, the area receives 14 cm of rain in all of March.
Rio authorities had declared an administrative holiday on Friday as the storm approached and urged people to stay home.
The storm follows a record heat wave, when humidity helped send the heat index soaring above 62 degrees Celsius (143 degrees Fahrenheit).
T.Bondarenko--BTB