Horse rescued from rooftop during Brazil’s flood havoc

Brazil has been experiencing severe floods for several days. The deluge has swamped various locations, including Canoas in Rio Grande do Sul state. Media outlets have shared footage of a horse stuck on a rooftop, which was eventually rescued.

An extraordinary video circulated by a Brazilian TV station captured a horse stranded on the roof of a flooded building in the city of Canoas. Recorded from a helicopter, the footage showed the city almost entirely submerged.

Firefighters and veterinarians, alongside soldiers and volunteers, reached the roof, sedated Caramel, secured it, and then carefully lowered it onto an inflatable raft for transport to solid ground.

The rescue operation attracted attention from high-profile individuals, including Brazil's First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva. On social media, she expressed her happiness over the successful rescue and shared a photo of the exhausted yet safe Caramel.

Eduardo Leite, the state governor, also praised the efforts of the firefighters from Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. "Caramel" is now receiving care at the Ulbra Veterinary Hospital. "Every life matters; we do not give up!" he stated on X (formerly Twitter).

The catastrophic flooding was triggered by torrential rains last week. The rains collapsed bridges and buildings and inundated 425 of Rio Grande do Sul's 497 cities. The disaster forced almost 165,000 people to evacuate their homes, and at least 107 lives were lost.