Baghdad-INA
Brazil’s Environment Minister, Marina Silva, announced that Brazil is “at war with fires and crime,” at a time when a state of emergency was declared in 45 cities in the southeastern state of São Paulo.
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After a crisis meeting with the leftist President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the minister announced that the federal police had begun investigations into the causes of the forest fires that have hit the region in the past few days.
“The police will lead the investigation and the government will work with all states to fight the fires,” Lula said on the X platform.
The governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas, who declared a state of emergency in 45 municipalities, confirmed that two arson suspects had been arrested.
One of the most affected areas is Ribeirão Preto, a city of more than 700,000 people located about 300 kilometers from São Paulo, in the middle of a major agricultural center.
Residents of the upscale neighborhood were forced to leave their homes as the flames approached, according to news website G1.
Several videos circulating on social media showed Ribeirão Preto going dark on Saturday evening, with a thick layer of smoke and strong winds observed.
Two factory workers died on Friday in Orobis, in the north of the state, while fighting a fire.
Flights were canceled and roads were closed because of the fires which destroyed crops and caused the death of livestock.
An Embraer KC-390, a Brazilian Air Force transport aircraft converted into a 12,000 liter water bomber, arrived in Ribeirão Preto on Saturday night. But according to Minister Marina Silva, “the plane has not been able to operate yet because of the smoke.” “This gives an idea of the scale of the problem,” she said.
2024-08-29 23:47:26