Sao Paulo: Heavy rains in coastal areas of Brazil’s south-east have caused flooding and landslides that killed at least 36 people and dislodged hundreds of others, according to a statement from Sao Paulo state authorities.
Rescue workers continue to look for victims, reconnect isolated communities and clear roads, some of which remain blocked, trapping an undetermined number of residents and tourists who travelled for Brazil’s Carnival celebrations.
A baby was rescued in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, as floods and landslides killed more than 30 people along the country’s south-eastern coast.Credit:Screenshot/Sao Sebastiao City Hall
The cities of Sao Sebastiao and Bertioga, two of the hardest hit, cancelled their festivities as rescue teams struggle to find missing, injured and feared dead in the rubble.
“Our rescue teams are not managing to get to several locations; it is a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of Sao Sebastiao. He posted in his social media channels several videos of widespread destruction in his city, including one of a baby being rescued by locals lined up on a flooded street.
Bertioga alone had 687 millimetres during that period, the state government said.
Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said he requested support from the army, which would send two aeroplanes and rescue teams to the region. He issued a public calamity decree for the cities of Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba and Bertioga.
TV footage showed houses flooded with only the roof visible. Residents were using small boats to carry items and people to higher positions. A road that connects Rio de Janeiro to the port city of Santos was blocked by landslides and floodwaters.
Operations at the port, Latin America’s largest, were interrupted amid wind gusts and higher than normal waves.
Weather forecasts show heavy rains would continue in Sao Paulo’s coastal area, challenging civil defence and fire department rescue teams and raising the prospect of a higher death toll.
Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that precipitation in the region had surpassed 600 millimetres in one day, one of the highest amounts ever in such a short period. It declared a 180-day state of calamity for six cities after what experts described as an unprecedented, extreme weather event.
The federal government determined the mobilisation of several ministries to assist victims, restore infrastructure and start reconstruction work.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was spending carnival in Bahia state in Brazil’s north-east, was set to visit the main affected areas on Monday, Brazil time, his office said.
Reuters, AP
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