105 dead and 140 still missing in Rio de Janeiro landslides
February 18, 2022, 9:14 am

105 dead and 140 still missing in Rio de Janeiro landslides

Landslides in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state (File photo: CGTN)

The Xinhua reported, local authorities in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro state said Thursday, the death toll rose to 105, with 140 people still missing, due to landslides and floods caused by heavy rains on Tuesday.

According to the Rio de Janeiro civil defense authorities, at least 400 firefighters are working with Army personnel to search for survivors, after a large part of Petropolis was destroyed by landslides and floods.

Heavy rains on Tuesday in the mountainous city, located about 68 km north of the city of Rio de Janeiro, triggered over 50 landslides.

More than 500 families were evacuated, while the power grid and drinking water supply were also affected.

Aerial photos of a deadly landslide after severe flooding in the Brazilian city of Petropolis in the hills above Rio de Janeiro, which killed at least 38 people. #Petropolis #Brazil #flood #flooding #floods #heavyrain #HeavyRains #tormenta #thunderstorm #rainfall #alluvione #lluvias #lluvia #chuvas #aluvión #weather
Posted by News/Incidents on Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Governor of Rio de Janeiro state Claudio Castro likened the conditions to a "war situation," while the Petropolis mayor's office decreed a state of public disaster and issued an alert to the population about the possibility of more downpours in the next 48 hours.

Death toll from flooding in northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia rises

Meanwhile, the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation indicated that the risks of new landslides were "very high," since the intense rains raised the level of moisture in the soil, which in turn generates the possibility of new large-scale precipitation.

Source: xinhua

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
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For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”