Feb 17 • 12:24 UTC 🇧🇷 Brazil Folha (PT)

Woman drowns after being swept away by floodwaters and trapped under a car in northern SP

A 60-year-old woman drowned in São Paulo after being swept away by floodwaters and becoming trapped under a car during a storm.

A tragic incident in the northern region of São Paulo resulted in the drowning death of a 60-year-old woman who was unexpectedly caught in floodwaters on Monday afternoon. According to the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat, the victim was walking home after visiting her sister when she was overwhelmed by the force of the rushing water, eventually ending up trapped under a parked car on Larival Gea Sanches Street. Although rescue teams were able to remove her from beneath the vehicle, she was already in cardiac arrest at that time.

Emergency responders performed CPR on the woman and transported her to the Mandaqui emergency room, but despite their efforts, she could not be revived. The violent rainstorm that swept through São Paulo and its metropolitan area that afternoon led to various flooding incidents across the capital. The Municipal Emergency Management Center reported that a combination of heat and incoming maritime breezes created unstable weather conditions, which caused severe storms in areas such as Mooca in the eastern zone of the city, further highlighting the dangers of sudden downpours in urban settings.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with extreme weather events in urban areas, especially in regions prone to flooding. As cities grapple with climate change and its impacts on weather patterns, it raises questions about infrastructure resilience and the safety measures in place for residents during severe weather conditions. Local authorities are likely to review their emergency response and urban planning strategies to prevent similar tragedies in the future, underscoring the growing need for proactive measures amidst shifting climatic trends.

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