At least 30 dead after heavy rains hit south-eastern Brazil, 39 missing
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A man carrying a dog as rescue workers search for victims in Juiz de Fora, in Brazil's Minas Gerais state, on Feb 24, after heavy rain caused flooding.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Heavy rains in Minas Gerais, Brazil, caused 22 deaths and displaced 440 people. Flooding and landslides occurred; 45 are missing.
- Juiz de Fora experienced its rainiest February ever, doubling expected rainfall. Brazil's government declared a calamity, speeding up relief efforts.
- President Lula offered condolences, focusing on humanitarian aid. National weather alerts were issued for heavy rain across 14 states, including Minas Gerais.
AI generated
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO - At least 30 people died after heavy rains hit Brazil’s south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, local authorities said on Feb 24, while 39 people were missing.
The state fire department confirmed the deaths happened in the city of Juiz de Fora and six in Uba, about 110km away.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered his condolences in a post on X.
“Our focus is to ensure humanitarian assistance, the restoration of basic services, support for displaced people, and aid for reconstruction,” he wrote.
About 440 people have been displaced in Juiz de Fora, the city hall said, as the rain triggered flooding and landslides and forced the suspension of classes in municipal schools.
Specialised teams have been mobilised to respond to incidents and search for missing people, it added.
The state fire department said 134 officials were deployed to Juiz de Fora and Uba.
“It’s a precarious situation; many people are missing. But by helping each other, we’ll eventually find everyone,” Mr Gabriel Vitor, a 24-year-old state firefighter deployed to Juiz de Fora, said.
Public calamity
Brazil’s government has recognised a state of calamity in Juiz de Fora, speeding up relief and humanitarian aid, it said in a statement.
Much of Brazil enters the peak of its rainy season during the local summer, from December to March, bringing frequent intense downpours, thunderstorms, flooding and mudslides.
“It was terrible; words can’t describe how sad it is. Just ask God to find those who survived and to perform a miracle,” said Ms Jaqueline Teixeira, a 45-year-old Juiz de Fora resident.
The Juiz de Fora city hall said this has been the rainiest February in the city’s history, with rainfall already more than double the amount expected for the month.
Mayor Margarida Salomao said in a statement on social media that the situation was “critical”.
Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology issued on Feb 24 heavy‑rain alerts for parts of 14 states, including the entire area of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. REUTERS
Juiz de Fora officials said this month been the rainiest February in the city’s history.
PHOTO: AFP
