Windstorm Leaves Thousands Without Power and Causes Multiple Deaths in Rio de Janeiro

A severe windstorm with gusts exceeding 100 kilometers per hour has caused widespread destruction and multiple deaths in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Reports on the death toll vary. One source indicates two deaths resulting from a wall collapse in Santa Teresa and a missing fisherman in Paraty. Another report states at least five people died, adding three deaths caused by electrical discharges in Cidade de Deus.

Power outages affected nearly 1.9 million properties at the peak of the storm. As of Friday morning, estimates of the remaining outages vary across reports. One source lists 189,000 customers without power, while others cite figures between 100,000 and 133,000 properties. The distributors Light and Enel Rio attributed the slow recovery to the high volume of fallen trees on electrical wiring. In response to the crisis, the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) conducted an inspection at Light's headquarters to monitor the restoration of services.

The lack of electricity sparked protests in the metropolitan region on Thursday night. Residents in areas such as Taquara, Sepetiba, Duque de Caxias, and Nova Iguaçu engaged in demonstrations that included burning trash, blocking streets, and damaging a bus. In the Tijuca neighborhood, the power failure also interrupted water supplies for buildings relying on electric pumps.

While center leaning sources focused on the regulatory oversight by Aneel and the specific logistics of the power restoration, center left sources emphasized the ongoing number of properties remaining without electricity.