The Kabul Tribune (KT) — A powerful tornado accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing six people and injuring hundreds, Reuters reported on Saturday.
The town of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu was hit hardest late
Friday, with the state’s civil defense agency saying that more than half of the
urban area suffered roof collapses and other structural damage.
Authorities said 437 people were treated for injuries and
about 1,000 residents were displaced. The nearby city of Guarapuava was also
affected by the storm.
According to the Parana Meteorology and Environmental
Monitoring System, the tornado’s winds reached speeds between 180 and 250
kilometers per hour (111–155 mph).
Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said she
would travel to the affected area on Saturday with acting Health Minister
Adriano Massuda and other federal officials to support relief and
reconstruction efforts.
“We will continue to assist the people of Parana and provide
all the help needed,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on X,
expressing condolences to the victims’ families.
