SAO PAULO, Nov 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six people have died to date due to a severe storm lashing the country’s most populated and industrialized southeastern state of Sao Paulo, authorities said.
The deaths were caused by toppled walls, flooding and landslides sparked by heavy rains and winds of up to 151 km per hour on Friday afternoon and evening, the government of Sao Paulo said in a statement.
The storm forced the Congonhas Airport in the city of Sao Paulo to close for an hour and wreaked havoc, ripping the roof off of a grandstand set up for Brazil’s Formula One Grand Prix, which will be held on Sunday.
The grandstand roof collapsed at Interlagos after severe weather hit the circuit at the end of qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix.
The final 10 minutes of the session saw a drastic change in climactic conditions as dark skies descended over the track, along with heavy winds, torrential rain, thunder and lightning.
After Max Verstappen had set his pole position lap, the session was eventually red-flagged as conditions dramatically altered and the session brought to a premature end.
But the chaotic scenes, with the sky more akin to a midnight picture than one at 16:00 local time, continued with lightning and heavy winds continuing to pound the circuit along with the rain.
A post on social media depicted a grandstand at the final corner with its roof caved in, with several spectators forced to flee the scene.
RacingNews365.com has learned that thankfully, no serious injuries have been caused in the incidents, with only minor injuries caused in isolated accidents related to the conditions as people left the circuit. — NNN-AGENCIES
