Six people have been killed and hundreds injured after a severe tornado ripped through southern Brazil, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Powerful winds of up to 155mph tore through the southern state of Parana late on Friday, bringing with it a deadly twister that unleashed its wrath in less than a minute.
The rapid but mighty tornado destroyed around 90 per cent of the town of Rio Bonito do Iguacu, with images showing the area almost completely flattened.
Footage of the natural disaster also captured houses in the town of near 14,000 inhabitants with their roofs blown off, electricity pylons on the ground and cars overturned.
Around 60,000 homes in the region have been left without power following the twister, which struck around 5.30pm local time.
Among the six dead are three men aged 49, 57 and 83, and two women, aged 47 and 14, in Rio Bonito do Iguacu. Another 53-year-old man was killed in the nearby city of Guarapuava. One person remains missing.
Some 750 people have been treated for injuries, and around a 1,000 have been displaced, authorities have said.
Injured residents, including children and pregnant women, were taken to hospitals and on-site medical units. At least ten people received surgery, of which nine remain in a critical condition.
Destruction after a tornado hit the city of Rio Bonito do Iguacu, in Brazil’s Parana State, on November 8, 2025
Authorities in the southern Brazilian state of Parana declared a state of public calamity in the municipalities hit by an unprecedented tornado that left at least six dead and 750 injured, as well as a city 90 percent in ruins
A tornado killed at least six people and injured around 750 as it destroyed most of a town in southern Brazil, authorities said Saturday
The twister on Friday evening flipped cars like toys and wrecked buildings in Rio Bonito do Iguacu, a town of 14,000 people in Parana state, officials said
The rapid but mighty tornado destroyed around 90 per cent of the town of Rio Bonito do Iguacu, with images showing the area almost completely flattened
Footage of the natural disaster also captured houses in the town of near 14,000 inhabitants with their roofs blown off
The numbers may yet increase, with rescue forces still receiving information from family members.
Information on homeless and displaced individuals is also still being gathered, according to the latest government update.
Rio Bonito do Iguacu’s mayor Sezar Augusto said 80 per cent of the town ‘was on the ground.’
He added: ‘It’s rained very heavily and about 80 per cent of the city is in ruins.
‘The force of the storm knocked down power lines, ripped roofs off buildings, destroyed structures, and caught many people returning home.
‘There are many vehicles under the rubble. There are at least three deaths, including two elderly people. There are also many injured, and the hospitals are overcrowded.’
Speaking in the aftermath of the disaster, he was quoted as saying: ‘There are many injured people with head wounds.
‘Outside the hospitals, we have at least three teams of doctors and nurses scouring the city to see if there are people trapped under the rubble.’
Paraná Governor Ratinho Júnior described the tornado as an ‘unprecedented catastrophe in the history’ of the state.
‘It’s unlikely that any house, or even a commercial building, will remain standing. We saw silos collapsing, gas stations,’ the governor added.
A state of ‘public calamity’ has also been declared in the state, allowing the government to adopt emergency measures to mobilise resources and request federal support.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his condolences to victims’ families.
A vehicle destroyed by a tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguacu, Brazil, 08 November 2025
Paraná Governor Ratinho Júnior described the tornado as an ‘unprecedented catastrophe in the history’ of the state
People work removing the debris caused by the tornado with winds of up to 155mph hour
Damaged trees and debris after the tornado ripped through Rio Bonito do Iguacu
A state of ‘public calamity’ has also been declared in the state, allowing the government to adopt emergency measures to mobilise resources and request federal support
Climatempo, a Brazilian TV channel specialising in weather forecasts, reported that the cyclone is associated with a cold front and may generate wind gusts above 100 km/h in states such as Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo
He said in a post on X: ‘I want to express my deepest condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones in the tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and in Guarapuava, in Paraná.
‘And to offer my solidarity to all the people who were affected. A team led by Minister Gleisi Hoffmann, composed of the Ministries of Health and Regional Integration and Development, is heading to the region.
‘National Civil Defense technicians specialised in humanitarian aid and reconstruction are already on their way to the cities, and professionals from the National SUS Force will provide assistance to citizens and to the Paraná state government teams involved in the rescue and aid to the victims.
‘We will continue supporting the Paraná population. And providing all the necessary assistance.’
Climatempo, a Brazilian TV channel specialising in weather forecasts, reported that the cyclone is associated with a cold front and may generate wind gusts above 100 km/h in states such as Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo.
The forecast indicates that the phenomenon should move across the sea until Sunday, also affecting the coast of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.
Authorities are urging the public to avoid open areas and to be alert to structures, trees, and power lines due to the risk of falls and accidents.
