Death toll from landslides, flooding climbs to 24 in Brazil
Franco da Rocha (Brazil), Feb 1: The death toll from landslides and flooding set off by heavy rains in Brazil's Sao Paulo state reached 24 on Monday as firefighters continued pulling bodies from the mud.
Brazil's most populous state was blasted with rain over the weekend, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced from their homes. The death toll had stood at 19 late Sunday, according to a statement from the civil defense authority.
(I'm looking for) my nephew, his wife and a 2-year-old child, Cicero Pereira, 54, told The Associated Press beside a disaster site in the city of Franco da Rocha. They said the bodies are still there under the mud, but until now they couldn't recover them.
Nelito Santos Bonfim, a 69-year-old resident, told AP he barely escaped with his life.
When I started running, the debris fell all over me, Bonfim said. I got hurt, but found a hole and, thanks to God, I managed to escape. But my father is still there.
A total 27 cities were affected, of which Franco da Rocha suffered the greatest loss of life. Gov. Jo o Doria used a helicopter to survey damaged areas Sunday and announced the equivalent of 2.8 million in financial aid to affected cities.
Alessandro Lima de Freitas, a coordinator for firefighters working to retrieve bodies, updated his list of missing people in Franco da Rocha. He told reporters that the concentration of rain was much heavier than locals are used to.
Southeastern Brazil has been punished with heavy rains since the start of the year, with 19 deaths recorded in Minas Gerais state earlier this month.
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Two wanted men held after shootout with police in Delhi's Dwarka
New Delhi (PTI): Two men accused in an attempt to murder case in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area were apprehended after a shootout, an official said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Rocky (22) and Sumit alias Koki (24), were allegedly involved in an attempt to murder on April 17, he said.
According to police, the incident involved two assailants arriving on a motorcycle, with one of them allegedly attempting to fire at the complainant from close range. However, the weapon malfunctioned, and the duo fled the spot.
Acting on specific inputs, a police team intercepted the suspects near the Urban Extension Road (UER) at around 5.35 am when they were riding a motorcycle.
When asked to surrender, Rocky allegedly opened fire at the police team and discharged three rounds. One of the bullets struck the bulletproof vest of a head constable, narrowly missing him.
"The police team retaliated in controlled self-defence, firing three rounds and injuring Rocky below his left knee. He was subsequently overpowered after a brief scuffle," a senior police officer said.
Sumit alias Koki, who was riding the motorcycle, was also apprehended at the spot with a loaded weapon and a live cartridge, police added.
The injured accused was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. The police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the attack and to identify any other persons involved in the conspiracy.
