Unprecedented Tornado Kills Six, Injures Hundreds in Southern Brazil State of Paraná
An unprecedented tornado struck Paraná, Brazil, leaving at least six dead, hundreds injured, and devastating the town of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu on Friday.
November 8, 2025 - 02:54 PM ET • 2 min read
A devastating and unprecedented tornado struck the southern Brazilian state of Paraná late Friday, killing at least six people and injuring hundreds, according to state authorities. The extreme weather event, part of a larger extratropical cyclone system, caused widespread destruction, particularly in the small municipality of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu.
The Paraná state government declared a state of public calamity on Saturday following the disaster, which Governor Ratinho Júnior described as a "catastrophe without precedent in the history of the state." The governor also decreed three days of official mourning.
The governor noted that the region had not experienced a tornado of this magnitude in the last 30 to 40 years.
The tornado, which struck Rio Bonito do Iguaçu late Friday afternoon, brought winds that state meteorological services (Simepar) estimated may have exceeded 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). Officials reported that approximately 90% of the homes and commercial buildings in the town, which has nearly 14,000 residents, were affected or destroyed. Local officials noted that major markets were leveled, and aerial images showed widespread damage, including collapsed silos and gas stations.
Five of the six confirmed fatalities occurred in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu. The victims included three men aged 49, 57, and 83, a 47-year-old woman, and a 14-year-old adolescent. The sixth death was reported in the rural zone of Guarapuava, involving a 53-year-old man.
The number of injured varied across reports, ranging from over 400 to approximately 750 people, including nine individuals reported to be in serious condition. Rescue teams continued searching through the rubble on Saturday for at least one person reported missing.
The severe weather impacted 14 municipalities across the western, southwestern, and south-central regions of Paraná. Authorities estimate that the destruction left around 10,000 people homeless across the affected region. In response to the crisis, the Paraná government established a field hospital in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu to treat the injured.