A tornado accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain has struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing six people, the state government says.
The town of Rio Bonito do Iguacu was hit hardest late on Friday, with the state's civil defence agency reporting that more than half of the urban area suffered roof collapses along with multiple structural failures.
State officials in a statement said at least one person was missing hours after the tornado touched down.
Five of the killed were adults and the sixth was a 14-year-old girl.
Roads were blocked and power lines damaged.
Authorities said 437 people were treated for injuries and about 1000 were displaced.Â
The nearby city of Guarapuava was also affected.
According to the Parana Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring System, the tornado's winds reached speeds between 180 km/h and 250 km/h.
Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said she would travel to the area on Saturday with acting Health Minister Adriano Massuda and other federal officials to support relief efforts and reconstruction.
"We will continue to assist the people of Parana and provide all the help needed," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X, expressing condolences to the victims' families.
with AP
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