Porto Alegre (RS) – Since Thursday 18th, soldiers from the Southern Military Command have been providing support to the population of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, which has been hit by heavy storms. A total of 150 Army soldiers have been deployed in the operation, at the request of the City Hall. The humanitarian support activities mainly involve clearing roads covered in debris and fallen trees, using chainsaws, 5 ton vehicles, Munck trucks and engineering equipment in general.
In the city of Cachoeirinha, soldiers from the 19th Motorized Infantry Battalion are also working to restore essential structures for the population of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to clearing roads, soldiers are distributing water to the community, as well as distributing tiles to rebuild roofs in damaged homes.
Troops from the 3rd Combat Engineering Battalion, from Cachoeira do Sul; the 6th Combat Engineering Battalion, from São Gabriel; the 3rd Guards Cavalry Regiment and the 3rd Army Police Battalion, both from Porto Alegre, are involved in the activities. Work continues throughout the week.