200 Feared to be Trapped in Landslide at Manacapuru, Brazil

This handout aerial picture released by the Communications Department of Manacapuru City Hall shows the Terra Preta Port after suffering a landslide on the banks of the Solimões River in Manacapuru, Amazonas State, Brazil. (Image: AFP)

The landslide could be related to riverbank erosion, which has been worsened by the severe drought affecting the Amazon region.

Some 200 people may have been buried after a landslide occurred in a port area of Manacapuru, Brazil’s Amazonas state, according to official sources.

The Military Firefighters Corps of the State of Rio de Janeiro on Monday said that the land supporting part of the Terra Preta Port, located on the banks of the Amazon River, slid due to unknown reasons.

Although the area was under construction, the port continued to operate as a key transportation point, reports Xinhua news agency.

It is estimated that over 200 people were loading and unloading goods at the site when the accident occurred. Initial reports confirmed that an entire family on a floating boat was buried. Additionally, debris from boats, pipes, houses, and vehicles has been found in the waters of the Amazon River.

The landslide could be related to riverbank erosion, which has been worsened by the severe drought affecting the Amazon region.

The Manacapuru’s city council issued a statement, deeply regretting the accident, and detailed that teams of the Civil Defense, the Military Firefighters Corps and other sectors are working intensively at the site to rescue those trapped.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - IANS)