Rio Bonito do Iguaçu bids farewell to hurricane victims in mass wake and regrets tragedy: ‘Life is irreplaceable’

Residents of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu, a municipality located in the interior of Paraná state, which was hit by a powerful hurricane this weekend, bid farewell to the victims in a mass funeral on Sunday. The ceremony took place in the parish hall, which withstood winds that exceeded 250 km/hour and caused great destruction in the city. Amid the rubble, survivors mourn the tragedy, but are already planning the next steps to rebuild their homes and lives.

A funeral on Sunday was set aside for four of the five victims who lived in the municipality: José Getesque, 83; Claudino Paulino Reis, 57 years old; Jorandir Nogueira Ferreira, 49; and 14-year-old teenager Julia Kwapis. Another victim, Adriana Maria de Moura, 47, was buried in another municipality. There was also a sixth victim in the neighboring district of Guarapuava, which was also hit by the hurricane.

Speaking to local press, the teenager’s father, Roberto Kwapis, said he would remain “certain of the love he has” for his daughter. Julia was at a friend’s house Friday night when Hurricane Hit Rio Bonito do Iguaçu. She and her friend, who survived, were thrown down by the force of the wind.

The property was completely destroyed after a hurricane passed through the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu (PR) - Photo: Roberto Dziora Jr./AEN Disclosure/Governo Paraná — The property was completely destroyed after a hurricane passed through the city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu (PR) – Photo: Roberto Dziora Jr./AEN Disclosure/Governo Paraná

According to the Parana government, more than 780 people received medical care in Río Bonito do Iguaçu, a municipality with a population of about 13,000. Some residents were not in the city when the hurricane struck, and are now dealing with the effects of the devastation.

One of them, Jose Godoy, 41, said that his wife, who was four months pregnant, was alone at home when the winds started. She was “terrified” and “tried to protect herself as much as she could,” according to Jose, who expressed his regret for the tragedy in the city and the damage to homes, but also said that he was “relieved” to find his wife alive.

-We recover physical goods. Of course it is sad to see everything destroyed, but little by little we are recovering. Life, no. “Life is irreplaceable,” Jose said in a statement issued by the Parana government.

The Paraná government intends to transfer up to R$50,000 per family to finance the reconstruction of homes damaged by the hurricane - Photo: Roberto Dziora Jr./AEN Disclosure/Governo Paraná — The Paraná government intends to transfer up to R$50,000 per family to finance the reconstruction of homes damaged by the hurricane – Photo: Roberto Dziora Jr./AEN Disclosure/Governo Paraná

According to Governor Ratinho Junior (PSD), the Legislative Assembly has been mobilized to approve a bill allowing the state executive to transfer up to R$50,000 per family to be used in rebuilding their homes. The governor also announced that a task force of about 200 engineers is in Río Bonito do Iguaçu to assess which houses can be repaired and which have been so badly damaged that they will need to be demolished and built from scratch.

The governor also announced that donations of food, water and supplies for residents were welcome, but requested that they be sent to the fire department and civil defense. Ratinho Jr. explained that state agencies will coordinate the delivery of the donated items, “so there is no risk of a truck arriving at Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and not having a place to store it.”