Let’s remember six disasters that, if they could, would be erased from collective memory
Brazil has already faced disasters that have left deep marks – some so intense that we prefer to pretend they have never happened.
But how to forget what shaped our story? Let’s remember six disasters that, if they could, would be erased from collective memory.
6 Brazilian disasters that stayed in history (better forget)
1. Brumadinho (2019)
On January 25, 2019, Brazil stopped in the shocking images of the mud taking everything in Brumadinho (MG).
The rupture of the Mining Dam Vale drove 12 million cubic meters of tailings, destroying communities, the company’s cafeteria and part of the environment.
There were 272 deaths, devastated families and a cruel warning about the risks of mining without serious supervision. The worst? It was an avoidable disaster – and very similar to what happened in Mariana, just three years earlier.
2. Fire at the American Gran Circus (1961)
The circus arrived in Niterói (RJ) promising to delight. But on December 17, what was seen was panic and horror.
A criminal fire destroyed the crowded canvas of children and adults. The canvas, made of nylon and paraffin (yes, flammable!), He caught fire in seconds.
There were 503 killed and more than 800 injured. The whole country cried. The tragedy led to changes in event safety standards.
3. Floods in Caraguatatuba (1967)
Torrential rainfall caused serial landslides in Caraguatatuba (SP), burning houses and lives.
About 436 people died and more than 3,000 were homeless. It was so serious that it practically reconfigured the city. The disaster served as a warning and boosted the creation of Civil Defense in São Paulo.
But to this day, many risk areas are still busy in the country.
4. Aracaju railway accident (1946)
A train crowded with passengers, no brakes in good condition and with precarious maintenance. Result? A tragedy with 185 dead and hundreds of injured.
The accident, which happened between Riachuelo and Laranjeiras, in Sergipe, was the worst of the national railway. Unfortunately, as in many other cases, the tragedy only gained attention after pain.
5. The Great Drought (1877–1879)
Worse than drought? Only hunger, thirst and abandonment. For two years, the drought destroyed the northeastern backlands.
It is estimated that about half a million people died, in Brazil that did not even know what public policy was.
Many countrymen migrated to the urban centers, where they were forced to almost slaves work. A climate, social and human disaster that revealed the country’s open wounds.
6. Boate Kiss (2013)
It was supposed to be just another party at the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria (RS), but became one of the biggest tragedies in Brazil.
The use of pyrotechnics within the closed environment, the flammable foam ceiling and the absence of emergency exits have created a deadly trap. There were 242 dead and more than 600 injured. The country was in mourning, and the trials still drag themselves.
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