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Torrential rain has triggered deadly flooding and landslides in southeastern Brazil, leaving dozens dead and thousands forced from their homes.
Authorities in Minas Gerais state say entire neighbourhoods have been overwhelmed after days of intense rainfall. Emergency teams continue to search for missing residents as more rain threatens already saturated ground, reports Sky News.
Rising toll
At least 46 people have died in the floods, according to the state fire department. Officials say 21 people remain missing, while about 3,600 residents have been displaced in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba.
The two cities lie roughly 110km apart and around 310km north of Rio de Janeiro.
Mayor Margarida Salomão said at least 20 landslides had struck Juiz de Fora since heavy rain began on Monday evening. Local authorities have warned that unstable hillsides could give way again.
Families devastated
Among the victims was 11-year-old Bernardo Lopes Dutra, who died when his home collapsed under the weight of the rain. His funeral was held on Wednesday.
His father, Ricardo Dutra, said: “I’m trying to pick up the pieces.”
“It’s a tragedy that no one was expecting,” he added, describing his son as “a boy with a big heart who, in his own way, touched everyone around him”.
A friend of the family, Nalvan Luiz, said at the funeral: “No matter how hard you try, at some point you feel powerless. You witness a situation like this – people trapped in the rubble – and there is nothing more you can do, your contribution has a limit.”
Shelters and aid
With mud covering streets and fears of further landslides, hundreds of families have sought refuge in churches and schools. The Rev. Ananias Simoes said his church in Juiz de Fora had been turned into a temporary shelter.
“We’re doing what we can, collecting food, water. We’re in a war situation,” he said.
Truck driver Dario Tiberio fled his home fearing it could collapse. “There’s a danger that the mud and earth can come and bury us along with the debris. We have this feeling of insecurity,” he said.
City officials said around 600 families in high-risk areas were being relocated to schools adapted as shelters. Juiz de Fora recorded roughly twice the rainfall normally expected for February.
Classes have been suspended in both Juiz de Fora, which has a population of about 560,000, and Uba, home to around 107,000 people.
Brazil’s federal government said it had accelerated the delivery of humanitarian aid, deploying health workers and national defence personnel to support local authorities.
Source: Sky News
