Powerful tornado wrecks Brazil town, killing six and injuring hundreds

Tornado flattens homes successful Rio Bonito bash Iguana, with 1 authoritative describing the demolition arsenic akin to a ‘war zone’.

At slightest six radical person been killed and 750 others injured successful Brazil aft a tornado ripped done the confederate authorities of Parana, with almighty winds of up to 250km/hour (155 mph).

Local authorities said connected Saturday that the twister, which struck precocious connected Friday, lasted little than a minute, but destroyed astir 90 percent of the municipality of Rio Bonito bash Iguacu.

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The municipality is location to 14,000 people.

Aerial photographs amusement scores of buildings successful Rio Bonito bash Iguacu without roofs, portion parts of the municipality look wholly flattened. Nearby, greenish farmland and trees extracurricular of the tornado’s way look to beryllium mostly untouched.

The destructive upwind signifier deed Brazil arsenic it prepared to big the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP30 successful Belem connected Monday.

Experts accidental clime alteration tin lend to predominant and much aggravated tornadoes arsenic warmer temperatures and expanding moisture successful the aerial tin summation atmospheric instability and upwind shear – the factors that springiness emergence to specified twisters.

An aerial presumption shows demolition aft a tornado deed the metropolis of Rio Bonito bash Iguaçu, successful Brazil’s Paraná State, connected November 8, 2025 [Photo by Daniel Castellano/AFP]

‘War zone’

Fernando Schunig, caput of the Parana Civil Defence agency, described the municipality arsenic a “war zone” successful an interrogation with section quality outlet G1.

“When these events deed an municipality area, the harm is major. It is precise lethal,” helium said.

Gilberto Brecailo, a nonmigratory of Rio Bonito bash Iguacu, said his mechanic store was 1 of the buildings destroyed by the tornado.

“There’s not overmuch we tin do… All we person near are our apparel and our documents. My livelihood, my mechanic shop, is gone, and my lad worked with me,” helium said, lasting adjacent a heap of enactment beams and gathering rubble.

Marileia Chagas, different resident, said she was thrown against a operation by the precocious winds but was capable to fell nether a seat until it passed.

“When I came out, everything was destroyed. My girl and my wheelchair-bound parent were inside. My begetter was wrong too. I was devastated,” she said. “In 2 minutes, everything was connected the ground; immoderate radical mislaid family, but we indispensable convey God everyone is alive.”

Authorities accidental 5 of the radical killed were from Rio Bonito bash Iguacu, portion different unfortunate was from the adjacent municipality of Guarapuava.

At slightest 1 idiosyncratic is missing.

Towns adjacent Rio Bonito bash Iguacu were besides deed by winds, storms and hail, but nary suffered the aforesaid level of damage, according to the section government.

Heavy machinery cleans up the debris caused by the tornado, with winds of up to 250km/hour, which deed the metropolis of Rio Bonito bash Iguaçu, Paraná State, Brazil connected November 8, 2025 [Daniel Castellano/AFP]

Mourning

State Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Jr declared 3 days of mourning to honour the dead. Officials accidental the casualty complaint whitethorn emergence arsenic hunt and rescue operations are inactive nether way.

At slightest 750 radical were besides injured by the tornado, of whom 10 person undergone country and 9 are successful superior condition, according to wellness authorities.

Cinthia Kelly Somariva, the manager of a adjacent hospital, said they were inactive evaluating the fallout from the tornado. “It was a precise bittersweet and aggravated night. There were lives lost,” she said.

On societal media, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with the victims. Members of his Cabinet announced the dispatching of exigency assistance to the area.

Officials said that food, hygiene products, tarps, mattresses and respective different items volition beryllium disposable to victims.