MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

At least 6 killed as deadly tornado hits Brazilian town

Integration and Regional Development Minister Waldez Góes said on Sunday that it was still not possible to measure all the damage caused by the tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu

Authorities in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná have declared a State of Public Disaster in the municipality of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu following a catastrophic tornado that struck on Friday night, leaving six people dead and causing widespread destruction.

The powerful storm devastated nearly 90% of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, which accounted for five of the fatalities. A sixth death was reported in the rural area of Guarapuava. In total, the tornado and accompanying severe weather left at least six dead, over 750 injured, and approximately 10,000 displaced across 14 municipalities near the border with Argentina. Rescue operations are ongoing, with more than 50 firefighters searching for one person who remains missing.

A video shows the moment a massive tornado tore through Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil, killing at least five people and injuring more than 430.

November 07. 2025 pic.twitter.com/Sa4FWjkNqs

— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) November 8, 2025

The tornado was preliminarily classified as F2 on the Fujita scale, indicating winds between 112 and 155 mph, though some areas may have experienced gusts exceeding 250 km/h. The damage to infrastructure is extensive:

Over 250 power poles and three high-voltage towers collapsed, leaving approximately 75% of Copel electric company customers without power. The main state sanitation system suffered a collapse, forcing officials to implement an emergency plan to ensure access to drinking water as widespread damage included collapsed roofs and structures, as residents awoke Saturday morning to clear debris and scattered belongings.

Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Júnior visited the area on Saturday to assess the damage. He decreed three days of official mourning and announced the formation of a working group dedicated to housing reconstruction. The National High School Exam (Enem), scheduled for Sunday in the affected town, was suspended.

The federal government immediately mobilized resources, sending teams from the Ministries of Health and Regional Integration and Development, as well as technicians from the National Civil Defense.

The natural disaster in Paraná coincides with the upcoming COP30 global climate conference, which Brazil is set to chair starting Monday in Belém. Environmental experts argue the tragedy highlights the urgent need for concrete global action on climate change.

Carlos Rittl, global director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, stated that the tornado was part of a global pattern of “increasingly frequent and intense disasters” and an “era of extremes.”

“This process must provide answers to the victims in Paraná, to the families who suffered losses in Jamaica due to the strongest hurricane ever recorded there, and to all communities affected by extreme events,” Rittl insisted. He identified key priorities for the upcoming COP30 presidency: more ambitious agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a tripling of international funding for climate adaptation in vulnerable developing nations. He also stressed the need for local plans to identify and take preventive measures against extreme events like tornadoes, heavy rainfall, and droughts.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the families of the victims in the 14,000-inhabitant location 250 miles from Curitiba. Lula announced that a team led by Minister of Institutional Relations Gleisi Hoffmann and Acting Health Minister Adriano Massuda, along with Civil Defense technicians, would be sent to the region.

Integration and Regional Development Minister Waldez Góes said on Sunday that it was still not possible to measure all the damage caused by the tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and in at least 11 other cities in the south-central region of Paraná after federal government officials visited urban and rural areas to assess the extent of the disaster. Góes said it was time for solidarity and action to help people and restore public and private services to rebuild what has been destroyed. “We must support families in need of health care, food, and shelter,” he stressed.

According to Góes, the government's guidance is that city governments should request emergency funds as soon as possible and not only after a full assessment of the destruction has been carried out. “Whatever is necessary to rebuild the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and other affected cities, President Lula is instructing me and other fellow ministers to do so,” he added.

The electricity company Copel reported Sunday that it had restored 49% of the power distribution network in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu.