Severe tornado rips through southern Brazil killing six and injuring hundreds

Six people have died and hundreds injured after a severe tornado hit southern Brazil.

Strong winds and heavy showers battered the state of Paraná on yesterday, blocking roads and damaging power lines.

A total of six people have been killed, five of them adults and one 14-year-old girl.

A total of 437 people have been were treated for injuries, while around a 1,000 have been displaced, authorities have said.

Injured residents, including children and pregnant women, were taken to hospitals and on-site medical units.

At least ten people received surgery, of which nine remain in a critical condition.

Among the hardest hit towns were Rio Bonito do Iguacu and Guarapuava, where buildings suffered structural failures and widespread roof collapses.

Wind speeds from the tornado reached as high as 250mph, according to the Parana Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring System.

Government ministers and federal officials are expected to travel to the area to support relief and reconstruction efforts.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences to victims’ families.

He said in a post on X: ‘I want to express my deepest condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones in the tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and in Guarapuava, in Paraná.

‘And to offer my solidarity to all the people who were affected. A team led by Minister Gleisi Hoffmann, composed of the Ministries of Health and Regional Integration and Development, is heading to the region.

‘National Civil Defense technicians specialised in humanitarian aid and reconstruction are already on their way to the cities, and professionals from the National SUS Force will provide assistance to citizens and to the Paraná state government teams involved in the rescue and aid to the victims.

‘We will continue supporting the Paraná population. And providing all the necessary assistance.’

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