Six are killed and hundreds are injured by a tornado in southern Brazil

Six persons were killed in the southern Brazilian state of Parana on Saturday by a tornado that brought with it high winds and a lot of rain, the state authorities reported.

The state’s civil defense service said that more than half of the urban area saw roof collapses and several structural failures, with the hamlet of Rio Bonito do Iguacu being the most severely affected late Friday.

Power lines were damaged, and roads were obstructed.

About 1,000 people were displaced, according to authorities, and 437 people received medical attention for their injuries. Guarapuava, a nearby city, was also impacted.

The Parana Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring System reports that the tornado’s winds were 180 kph (111 mph) to 250 kph (155 mph).

In order to assist with relief and reconstruction operations, Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said that she and Adriano Massuda, the interim Health Minister, would visit the region on Saturday.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on X, “We will continue to assist the people of Parana and provide all the help needed,” and he sent his condolences to the families of the deaths.