The rain is still falling, and continues to bring tragedy to the people. The heavy rains have caused dozens of landslides in areas occupied by low-income population.
The mayor of Niteroi, a city near Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Roberto Silveira, declared a state of emergency on Thursday in his city where several landslides occurred—the most serious of which were in Morro do Bumba (Hill of Bumba), where a range of about 6,500 square feet of soil slipped down the slopes burying some 50 homes, surprising the residents of the community. About 200 people are missing and 12 bodies have already been recovered. Besides residences, shops, churches, and day care centers were also buried.
Rescuers are using four backhoes and eight large bulldozers incessantly in the rain to remove the accumulated soil from the site. According to firefighters, the work must be done carefully and slowly because of the possibility of finding victims in the middle of the wreckage.
The Hill of Bumba is a settlement of houses on a landfill dumpsite. The mayor of Niterói this week justified the lack of objections from the city for the construction of the slum along the hillside to the fact that the landfill was established over 50 years ago.
Shortly before the devastating landslide, residents reported hearing a loud sound like an explosion. Experts say it may have been the result contact between the atmosphere and the methane gas produced by the accumulated rubbish. The ground, made of decomposed materials, forms fractures where water enters and accumulates, causing landslides.
“Nobody ever imagined it could happen, but we are still studying the causes,” the mayor said.
The population alleges that on Tuesday, three houses collapsed near the hillside, but residents received no warnings about the danger from the government.
