At least five people were killed and more than 400 injured after a powerful tornado devastated Rio Bonito do Iguacu in southern Brazil‘s Parana state, local officials said on Saturday.
The Parana Civil Defense confirmed the fatalities and warned that the toll could rise as search teams comb the debris for missing residents. Two people are still unaccounted for.
How bad was the Brazil tornado?
Winds between 180 and 250 kilometers per hour (110 to 155 mph) ripped through the town of 14,000 people, destroying houses, uprooting trees, and overturning vehicles. Officials described the scene as resembling “a war zone.”
Images shared on Brazilian media showed widespread damage, with entire streets leveled and brick homes collapsed. Civil Defense chief Fernando Schunig said the tornado struck directly in the town center, making it especially lethal.
Governor Ratinho Junior said on X that state security forces were on alert and assisting affected communities. The National Institute of Meteorology has maintained a severe-storm warning for Paraná and neighboring states Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
“The teams are already mobilized to assist the families and provide all necessary support,” he said.
Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said she is traveling to the region with acting Health Minister Adriano Massuda and other officials to coordinate relief and reconstruction efforts.
Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
“We will continue to assist the people of Parana and provide all the help needed,” he said.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah