Civil Defense confirms 2 deaths due to the cold.
The temperature remained around 1,4°C in the early morning hours of this Thursday, with frost forecast for almost all cities in Rio Grande do Sul; the deaths occurred in the last four days: a 53-year-old man died two days ago in the municipality of Sinibu, and a person whose identity was not disclosed died in the municipality of Panambi last Sunday, both from hypothermia.
From Agência Brasil
Brasilia – At least two people have died in Rio Grande do Sul as a result of the intense cold that has been affecting the region since the beginning of the week. A third death is still being evaluated by specialists, but there are suspicions that it may also have been caused by hypothermia (when there is a drastic reduction in body temperature). In an attempt to prevent more victims, the state government wants to expand the number of places in community shelters for needy people.
The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul reported that the lowest temperatures of the year were recorded in the early morning and morning of today (25). The temperature was around 1,4 degrees Celsius (°C) and frost was forecast in almost all cities in Rio Grande do Sul.
The deaths occurred over the last four days. A 53-year-old man died two days ago in the municipality of Sinibu, and a person whose identity was not disclosed died in the municipality of Panambi last Sunday (21), both due to hypothermia.
Major Ben Hur Pereira da Silva, from the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul, told Agência Brasil that authorities are concerned about the situation of impoverished populations. According to him, the idea is to increase the number of spaces in municipal shelters and hostels in an effort to prevent people from suffering from the cold and low temperatures.
However, the military officer stressed that there are difficulties in convincing people living in inadequate places or on the streets to go to shelters and hostels. "In the shelter or hostel, there are rules that must be respected. Not everyone adapts to the norms. There is a schedule for eating, for showering, and you can no longer leave after a certain time," Ben Hur emphasized.
The military official also warned about the problems caused to agriculture, as frost formation can affect crops and livestock. For now, the situation is only one of attention, not alert.
The Civil Defense operations centers are monitoring weather condition charts received from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) and keeping the 11 regional centers in the state's main cities informed. Municipal governments and coordinating offices are also being updated on the information.
Edited by: Carolina Pimentel