On Tuesday morning, the last official day of carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the thermal sensation in the streets of the city reached 107F. The extreme heat did not stop the ‘cariocas’ (as the residents of Rio are called) and tourists from enjoying the biggest party on Earth.
However, hundreds of people fainted and required medical assistance. The performance by singer Ludmilla was filled with chaos and tension from the singer and her team, who constantly interrupted their songs to ask for help from the revelers. The temperature was 95F with a thermal sensation of 105F. Hundreds of bottles of water were distributed to the revelers. At least 30 revelers fell ill and were taken to the hospital. Among them, four were children.
The singer decided to end the show 40 minutes early.
“We can’t control the weather. My priority is your safety. It can’t go on like this,” said Ludmilla.
The Municipal Health Department (SMS), since last Friday, has recorded 22,921 attendances at Urgent Care Units (UPAs) and regional emergency centers.
During the same period, 12 treatments related to heat were performed, of which six were for sunstroke, three for heat exhaustion, and three for dehydration, according to the Department.
Regardless of the heat, the city hall of Rio predicts that up to 5 million people will enjoy the carnival of 2024 in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.
Source: O Globo and UOL