The Brazilian Ambassador to Thailand, Marco Antônio Brandão Diniz, confirmed the death of the Brazilian diplomat, Lys Amayo de Benedek D’Avola and her 10 year-old son, Jean Luca.
Lys had been in Thailand since last year, working as first secretary at the embassy. She was on holidays with her husband and two children on the island of Phi Phi.
On Sunday, Lys, her husband, and their son were on their way to the beach, when they were struck by the huge waves caused by the biggest earthquake in 40 years.
Lys’s husband is hospitalized in the beach resort. Their daughter, Thais, who stayed in the hotel, suffered no injuries.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent messages of solidarity to the heads of State and Government of Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldive Islands, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the information that is available is still very scanty, mostly because of the difficulty in communicating with government agencies in the affected countries.
The Ministry also informed that the Brazilian government may send medicines, vaccines, or donations to the countries hit by the earthquake.
Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil